New Delhi, Sep 16 (IANS): The BJP on Wednesday hit back at Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav over his remarks on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), accusing him of consistently supporting issues concerning Muslims and saying that he is called ‘Mulla Akhilesh Yadav’ for a reason.
The remarks came after Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed that the UCC that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced would be implemented in 21 BJP-governed states by 2029 actually stood for the BJP’s “Underground Communal Conspiracy” to divert people’s attention from promises made before the elections.
Speaking to IANS, BJP leader Pratul Shahdeo said, “He is called ‘Mulla Akhilesh Yadav’ for a reason, as he always comes out in support of Muslims.”
He further alleged that the Samajwadi Party had a history of taking positions that were detrimental to the interests of the country and referred to the firing on kar sevaks during the party’s rule in Uttar Pradesh.
“They want to incite riots in the country again. Who says that the BJP is pursuing a communal agenda? We are bringing the UCC in the interests of Muslims. Why should any Muslim man be allowed to have four marriages? What is the fault of the daughters? Why should only men have the right to pronounce divorce? Should women not have this right? These discrepancies will be removed,” Shahdeo said.
“No matter what Akhilesh Yadav or Rahul Gandhi do, the UCC will be implemented,” he added.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister, Brajesh Pathak also criticised the SP chief, saying he frequently makes what he described as ‘baseless’ statements.
“They have no agenda and no policy. Misleading people, lying to them and somehow or the other trying to gain power — that is all they do. The people will no longer accept the Samajwadi Party and will never forgive them,” Pathak said.
BJP MP Gulam Ali Khatana said there was no need to be concerned about the proposed legislation, arguing that laws should apply uniformly to all citizens.
“India is a democracy, and governments take decisions based on the people’s wishes. What do Owaisi, Congress and Samajwadi Party want? Do they want the same punishment for theft? The law should be uniform for every citizen. If everyone makes equal sacrifices for the country, there should also be uniformity in the law,” Khatana said.
BJP MLA Ram Kadam said, “Akhilesh Yadav has become a literary figure these days and is trying to create his own new dictionary. My best wishes to him, but does changing words change the thinking of a person behind those words? This country was earlier run on the politics of appeasement. Can one law for one person and another law for another person in the same country be accepted under the Constitution?”
Uttar Pradesh Minister O.P. Rajbhar said the process of bringing the UCC into effect had already progressed.
“It has received approval from the Cabinet and has been passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, taking the form of law. They are now talking about implementing it,” Rajbhar said.
