Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is not just about marriages but about bringing everyone equal before law. And if the Centre is serious about implementing the UCC, then it should start by banning cow slaughter from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and also by booking their corrupt people before law.
He also said that his party will take a stand regarding the UCC because Sena patriarch Bal Thackeray clearly had a stand regarding the UCC, but then the Centre should also bring peace in Manipur and show that it is serious about the situation there.
“We will definitely talk about the issue of Uniform Civil Code, because the Shiv Sena chief (Bal Thackeray) had expressed his role very strongly and clearly in relation to it. But for that, start by banning cow slaughter from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, bring peace in Manipur and show it,” Thackeray said in an interview to Saamana executive editor Sanjay Raut.
“If everyone will be equal before the law, then the corrupt amongst you must also be punished. If he is on the other side, he is a corrupt person and if he is on your side, he immediately becomes a saint by undergoing the laundry service,” the former Maharashtra chief minister added.
Thackeray also urged the President to take action regarding Manipur. “The Governor of Manipur is a woman. The President of the country is a woman. Why do women face this problem in such a country?” he said, referring to the viral video of Kuki women.
“Then I request the President that as a woman, what role will you take on what is going on in this country. We call our country Bharat Mata. If that mother is being insulted and such a spectacle is being made, then what are you doing as a woman? What are you doing as President? And the same question is with the Governor of Manipur. What role will she take on such incidents as governor? Should this question be asked or not?” he asked.
Thackeray’s interview was the first in a two-part series released between Wednesday and Thursday on Shiv Sena’s YouTube channel Podcast where he spoke at length about national and state issues to his party spokesperson, Sanjay Raut.
The Shiv Sena (UBT) chief criticised the Maharashtra government and questioned the BJP on inducting a rebel faction of the NCP, which, he said, the PM had called a corrupt party, into the government.
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Criticising the BJP
He further questioned the recently held NDA meet and defended the opposition INDIA, an alliance he is a part of. Thackeray was a part of NDA for nearlry 25 years before he broke the alliance for the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance with Congress and the NCP.
He taunted the BJP of the need to have an alliance with 35 parties when most of them don’t even have a single MP.
“Last week after many years an amoeba named ‘NDA’ got alive in this country, and we, patriotic politicians, have formed an alliance called ‘INDIA’ to answer them. On the same day, our Honorable Prime Minister suddenly held a feast for 36 parties,” he said. “But, they don’t need 36 parties. Now only these three parties — ED, Income Tax and CBI — are strong in their NDA.”
Thackeray also questioned the Election Commission’s decision to hand over the party name and symbol to rival faction leader Eknath Shinde and said that they will fight it out legally and get back the name and symbol, which, he said, rightfully belongs to his group.
As the BJP has always questioned Thackeray of aligning with the Congress and leaving the Hindutva, Thackeray retorted by questioning why the BJP have not yet held elections in Jammu and Kashmir despite abolishing Article 370, a move that he had supported.
“Kashmiri Pandits cannot go back to the Valley. No one can buy land there. Elections are not happening. Kashmir has been divided into pieces. Leh-Ladakh separated. Jammu was separated. Then why don’t you hold elections now?” he asked.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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