TD in a fix over BJP's Uniform Civil Code plan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the BJP manifesto ‘Sankalp Patra’ with a mention of UCC on Sunday. Though the issue of UCC has been there for several years, regional parties like Telugu Desam are not in favour of this. They are wary of losing the support of Muslims in this context.

It remains to be seen how the TD leadership would respond to the UCC and the BJP plan to make it a law. Once the Parliament enacts such a law, the entire nation will be having a common law for all people irrespective of caste, community, religion, region, language etc.
The TD leadership is now keeping a studied silence on the issue. It appears that there is a gag order within the party, asking its leaders not to air independent views on the issue.

TDP spokesperson Pilli Manikyala Rao said, “Our party leadership will take a decision on UCC soon. Moreover, there will not be any decision on it until the elections are over.”

Uniform Civil Code means that all sections of people irrespective of their caste, community, religion and region shall be treated equally as per a national civil code, in issues like adoption, marriage, divorce, maintenance, inheritance etc.

BJP claims that UCC is a part of its ideology wherein the nation comes first while religion comes next and individuals will be the last.

State BJP elections coordinator P. Chandra Sekhar said, “Though we have a uniform criminal code, we don’t have a uniform civil code and it is essential to have ‘one nation and one law’ for all issues.”