New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday made a strong appeal for the implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and for the abolition of triple talaq, in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.
He also attacked the united front put up by the opposition parties, dubbing them a “guarantee of scams” and their coming together a “jugalbandi (duet)” to escape imprisonment for their acts of corruption.
“If there is one law for one member in a house, another law for another, then how will such a house work with such dualities in law? Similarly, how will the country work? We have to remember that in the Constitution as well there is mention of uniform law for all citizens. The Supreme Court has time and again mentioned to implement the Uniform Civil Code, but those hungry for votebank oppose it,” PM Modi told the BJP workers after flagging off five Vande Bharat trains in Bhopal.
Under the proposed UCC, all people irrespective of their religions will be covered by one set of civil laws governing issues such as marriage, inheritance, adoption among others.
Apart from the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, the implementation of the UCC is a pet theme for the BJP. In the Karnataka election, the BJP manifesto had promised to implement the UCC if it was voted to power.
Modi further hit out against those supporting ‘triple talaq’, saying that the practice was abolished even in Pakistan.
“Whoever speaks in favour of triple talaq are hungry for votebank and are doing injustice with the Muslim daughters, their parents, brothers. If it was connected to Islam then it would not be stopped by any Muslim dominated country. Muslim dominated countries have also abolished the practice of triple talaq. I was in Egypt the day before yesterday. It has over 90 percent Sunni population and about 90 years ago, they abolished the practice of triple talaq,” he said.
“If triple talaq is an important aspect of Islam, then why is it not practiced in Pakistan, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan, Syria, Bangladesh? These are all Muslim countries that have abolished it.”
Triple talaq is a noose put around Muslim daughters by the people who want to snatch their liberty away and this is the reason the Muslim daughters stand with BJP, he said. “Muslim of India have to understand which political party is trying to misguide Muslims and use them,” the PM added.
Votebank politics has spoiled the lives of the Pasmanda Muslims but nobody wants to talk about it, he said, about the plight of the most marginalised section of Indian Muslims.
“The Pasmanda Muslim community till today does not live in equality, they are backwards. …. They are backward and face discrimination. The damage of this discrimination is faced by multiple generations but the BJP is working with the intention of ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’. They are getting benefits of the Ayushman Bharat and the PM Awas Yojna which our workers will go and explain to them,” Modi said
Pasmanda Muslims make up about 80-85 percent of the 17 crore Muslim population in India, according to some estimates.
To a question of a BJP booth worker on warring parties coming together to put up a united front, Modi said that the people should feel pity on them and not get angry. “We have seen election results in 2014, 2019, and one has to remember the situation then. … It is their compulsion, and it is clear from their discomfort that the citizens of the country have decided to re-elect BJP in 2024,” he added.
Modi further said that once again the BJP will emerge victorious in 2024 and that is why the opposition parties are worried and have decided to somehow deceive the countrymen and put false allegations on others to get power.
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Attack on Congress
In an indirect reference to the Congress’ populist announcements, PM Modi highlighted that ‘guarantee’ is the new word being popularised.
“It is the responsibility of the booth workers to explain to the people that this opposition front is a guarantee of corruption, guarantee of scams worth lakhs of crores. They had a photo ops event recently, and if one has to look at their history, it would be clear that all of those seen in the photo put together is a ‘guarantee’ of Rs 20 lakh crore,” he said, about the opposition leaders who recently met in Patna.
Modi further attacked the Congress on the plank of corruption as he made reference to the 2G, CWG and MNREGS scams.
“From helicopter to submarine, there is no department which has not fallen prey to the Congress scams. On the other hand, the RJD has allegations of thousands of crores from fodder, flood relief scams.. It has a long list and even the courts are tired of pronouncing judgments one after another.
“In Tamil Nadu, the DMK faces allegations of making illegal property; the TMC has Sharda corruption, cow smuggling, coal smuggling scams… the people of Bengal can never forget these scams. Against the NCP, there are allegations of scams in irrigation and mining…,” he said.
“The country has to decide if they will accept this guarantee of corruption,” Modi told citizens.
The PM then reminded the people that he has reached his position today with their support and assured them that he would guarantee that every scamster would face action for each and every theft they had committed.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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