Civil code stirs up debate in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The BJP move to rake up the Uniform Civil Code has sparked an intense debate in Kerala. Senior Congress leader A K Antony said on Sunday that the move was not in the best interests of the nation while BJP president Kummanam Rajasekharan said a negative stand towards it would not be good for the nation. Antony said in New Delhi that every time Assembly or Lok Sabha elections were around the corner, the BJP Government was trying to create a rift among the people. He added that the main agenda was to create communal polarisation.

“This is nothing but the contemptuous efforts of the BJP Government at the centre keeping an eye on the Uttar Pradesh elections. It is a routine affair of the BJP to trigger a debate on the Uniform Civil Code whenever an election is on the anvil. At every turn, it is trying to create a rift among the people”, said Antony. Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala flayed the BJP Government’s proposal to implement the Uniform Civil Code and said the move would hurt the secular fabric of the country.

“The code will be a threat to secularism and unity being upheld by the people of the country. The Law Commission has been asked to give its report. The present move is only for political gains as the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls are round the corner. Through communal polarisation, the Sangh Parivar aims to reap rich dividends”, said Chennithala in a statement.

BJP State president Kummanam Rajasekharan alleged that those people who were standing against the Uniform Civil Code were in fact opposing the development of the country. He said when those leaders were demanding that there should not be any debate on the Uniform Civil Code, they were actually challenging the Constitution. “The Muslim League has got a feeling that it is still the partition era which shows from its leaders' comments. Unfortunately Congress also supports the stand of the Muslim League”, said Kummanam here in a statement.