'Apply To Hindus First': Stalin's DMK Slams PM Modi's Remark On Uniform Civil Code

Pitching for UCC, PM Modi on Tuesday said that it doesn't work to have a "different set of rules for different members of a family" and a ''country can't run on two laws.''

Chennai: Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark on the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code across the country, saying it should be first applied to Hindus. DMK leader TKS Elangovan, targeting PM Modi, said that it should first be implemented for the Hindu religion.

"Uniform Civil Code should be first introduced in the Hindu religion. Every person including Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes should be allowed to perform pooja in any temple in the country," Elangovan said. "We don't want UCC only because the Constitution has given protection to every religion," Elangovan said.

PM Modi Makes Strong Pitch For UCC

It may be noted that PM Modi on Tuesday said that the country cannot run on two laws and that Uniform Civil Code was part of the Constitution. "Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights...Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics," he said.

After flagging off five Vande Bharat Express trains on Tuesday morning, PM Modi addressed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) booth workers in Bhopal. "Will a family function if there are two different sets of rules for people? Then how will a country run? Our Constitution too guarantees equal rights to all people," PM Modi said in Bhopal today while addressing party workers under the BJP's "Mera Booth Sabse Majboot" campaign.

Slamming the Opposition, PM Modi said, "Whoever talks in favour of Triple Talaq, whoever advocates it, those vote bank hungry people are doing a great injustice to Muslim daughters. Triple talaq doesn't just do injustice to daughters. It is beyond this; the whole family get ruined".

If "Triple Talaq" is an inalienable part of Islam, why it isn't practised in Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, Jordan and Syria, he questioned. Citing the example of Egypt, where he was on a visit last week, PM Modi said the country had abolished Triple Talaq 80-90 years ago, even though 90 per cent of its population comprise Sunni Muslims.

The Prime Minister further said that people are being instigated in the name of the Uniform Civil Code. "The Muslim brothers and sisters of India have to understand which political parties are taking political advantage of them by provoking them. We are seeing that work is being done to incite such people in the name of UCC," he further said.

He said that appeasement politics had left many people behind, including the Pasmanda Muslims. "Pasmanda Muslims have become a victim of politics. Some people are using the politics of appeasement to break the country. The BJP cadre should go and explain this to the Muslims and educate them so that they do not fall victim to such politics", PM Modi said.

"If they were supportive of Muslims the Muslim brothers would not be poor or deprived...Supreme Court has also asked for the implementation of the UCC. But these people are hungry only for vote bank," Modi said accusing the Opposition in the country of employing vote-bank politics of appeasement. 

It is noteworthy that Part 4, Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, corresponds with Directive Principles of State Policy, making it mandatory for the State to provide its citizens with a uniform civil code (UCC) throughout the territory of India.