New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party, if voted to power, would implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Bengal within six months so that there is one law in Bengal for every citizen, announced Union Home Minister Amit Shah Friday, while unveiling the ‘Sankalp Patra’ manifesto of the BJP ahead of the West Bengal elections.
Asked whether the UCC was the BJP’s “appeasement politics”, Shah dismissed the allegations, questioning whether allowing one man to have one wife and another four was appeasement politics. He added that the UCC would be implemented across India wherever the BJP government was in power.
“Tell me one thing, citizens of this nation of all religions…our Constitution is based on the basic principle of equal treatment of all religions, so a common law for every citizen…. A citizen can marry four times, and another can marry one time…. UCC ends appeasement. UCC is not the BJP’s recommendation; it is by the Constitution committee,” said Amit Shah. “It has been hanging for a long time. Under UCC, wherever BJP is in power, UCC will be implemented.”
Elections in West Bengal will take place in two phases on 23 April and 29 April, with the counting scheduled for 4 May.
The BJP-ruled state of Uttarakhand became the first state to implement the UCC, and Gujarat recently passed a bill on the same. The BJP has similarly announced the implementation of UCC in Assam while promising to crack down on infiltrators.
While announcing a six-month timeframe for UCC implementation in Bengal, Amit Shah said, “The Uniform Civil Code has been implemented in several BJP-ruled states. We will implement the UCC in Bengal within six months so that there is one law in Bengal for every citizen.”
Apart from promising UCC implementation within six months of being voted to power, the Union minister announced several freebies. These included Rs 3,000 financial aid per month and free bus travel for women in state-run buses, as well as Rs 3,000 for unemployed youth, with a five-year age relaxation for young people who crossed their eligibility age limit due to paper leaks and corruption.
The party also promised to enact a law ensuring freedom of religious practices.
For women
On women, Amit Shah said, “The condition of women in the middle class, lower middle class, and poor sections is very difficult. Until this gap is bridged, the BJP will transfer Rs 3000 every month into the bank accounts of every woman between the 1st and 5th of each month.”
Asked why the BJP, which used to be critical of ‘freebies,’ was indulging in the same, Shah said that otherwise, taking people out of conditions created first by the Communist party and subsequently by Mamata was simply impossible.
“These are not ‘freebies’; rather, they are measures intended for their aid and welfare.”
With a focus on women’s safety and empowerment, the BJP also announced the launch of women-only police battalions—named Durga Surokha Squads—and 33% reservation for women in state jobs.
“We will create such a Bengal where no one will be able to tell women that they should not go out at night!” said Amit Shah.
The party also promised monetary assistance of Rs 21,000 and six nutritional kits to pregnant women from financially marginalised families. If voted to power, it will also provide Rs 50,000 to girls at the time of admission into graduation courses to support women in higher education.
This is not the first time the party has specially targeted women voters. Earlier, the party had announced financial schemes especially for women ahead of the Bihar, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh polls.
Also Read: As Assam votes, Jorhat frames a contrast between Himanta & Gaurav Gogoi—intensity vs reticence
On immigration
Promising to crack down on “ghuspethiyas” in the state, Amit Shah announced a policy of “detect, delete and deport” for infiltrators.
Shah highlighted that if voted to power, the government would also secure borders, adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards infiltration, and stop cattle smuggling.
“When the BJP comes to power, infiltration will stop, and Gau Mata will be protected from the hands of smugglers. We will strictly seal the Bengal border to prevent infiltration. At the same time, we will ensure that not even a single cow goes out of the country illegally; we will implement this with utmost strictness,” he added.
Shah said that while refugees would be granted every right and privilege guaranteed by the Constitution, infiltrators would be driven out and not be permitted to remain in India.
“For years, the PM Modi government has been making efforts, but the TMC government has not provided land for fencing. We have decided that within 45 days, all the land required by the Home Ministry will be made available,” he added.
For youth & farmers
Besides women, the BJP manifesto has focussed on welfare schemes for different sections of society. The Union minister promised Rs 9,000 to farmers every year under the ‘Kisan Samman Nidhi’.
“Opportunities for massive employment will be created in the coming five years to prevent migration and brain drain among the youth. Additionally, newly graduated youth will be provided with a monthly stipend of Rs 3000 for their next endeavours,” Amit Shah added.
The party has also announced the creation of a ‘Vande Mataram’ museum to preserve the state’s rich cultural heritage.
“The main goal of our manifesto is to build a fear-free Bengal and reconstruct a Bengal full of trust,” said Shah.
Further, the BJP has announced a cultural centre to further enrich the legacy of Rabindranath Tagore.
Another key promise is the establishment of the Seventh Pay Commission for state employees within 45 days of the BJP coming to power.
When questioned about the chief ministerial candidate, Shah said, “I can assure people that a person from Bengal and a Bengali will be the state’s CM,” adding that this person will be someone able to work in tandem with the Centre.
On corruption
The party has also promised to crack down on corruption with jail terms, with Shah accusing the TMC of indulging in corruption and illegal practices.
Hours earlier Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) had called off its alliance with Humayun Kabir’s Aam Janata Unnayan Party (AJUP), following the Trinamool Congress’s release of a purported sting video allegedly showing Kabir’s ‘links’ with the BJP.
Shah, however, rejected the claims. He said that Kabir and the BJP are like the North and South poles, and the party would prefer to sit in the Opposition for 20 years than have an alliance with someone who had promised to build the Babri Masjid in the state.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also Read: In Kerala’s Kasargod, BJP bets on ‘Mangaluru model’ of development