Uniform Civil Code won't be brought without consensus: Venkaiah Naidu

Government has not imposed any restrictions on Pakistani artistes working in India but filmmakers should respect the sentiments of people while engaging them, says Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu.

New Delhi: Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will not be brought through the back door and without a consensus, says Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu who rejects the charge that contentious issues have been raked up by BJP to polarise elections, especially in Uttar Pradesh.

Issues like triple talaq, civil code and Ram temple will not be used by BJP for political mileage in the upcoming elections, says the Minister who asserts that they will be fought on development agenda.

Holding that such crucial issues should not be looked through prism of electoral benefit, the Chief Spokesperson of the government also rejects opposition criticism that surgical strikes were being politicised.

"The Government does not consider it (triple talaq) as a religious matter. It is a question of gender sensitivity. It is wrong to say that we are interfering in Muslim issues.

"The same Indian Parliament, the same political system had brought Hindu Code Bill, Divorce Act, banning Hindu Marriage Act, banning dowry and Sati practice, all these things are done by Indian Parliament," Naidu told PTI in an interview.

Making it clear that broad consensus will be required for bringing Uniform Civil Code, he said the allegations that Triple Talaq is a backdoor entry for the UCC was unjustified.

"We are not discussing about the common civil code or uniform civil code as of now. The Law Commission has issued a questionnaire and asked people to react.

"You cannot have a uniform Civil Code without a broad consensus. You have to work and move in that direction," he said hoping that the Supreme Court will come out with the right decision on the issue of triple talaq.