Owaisi slams BJP for its Telangana manifesto promising to implement Uniform Civil Code

Hyderabad: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday said the Uniform Civil Code is not required in the country, criticising the BJP for promising to implement it, and stressed the need for more freedom of speech and expression whereby people will not be targetted for their attire and religion.

Reacting to BJP's promises in its Telangana election manifesto, including to implement UCC, to officially mark September 17 as 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' and organise free yatras for Ram Mandir in Ayodhya and Kashi for senior citizens, the Hyderabad MP told reporters here that the BJP "indulges" in such things "instead of addressing" the core issues relating to the development of the country.

The BJP on November 18 said the Uniform Civil Code would be implemented in Telangana if the party came to power in the state in the November 30 assembly elections.

Amit Shah, who released BJP's manifesto for the legislative assembly polls, said that if the BJP forms a government it would constitute a committee to implement the Uniform Civil Code in Telangana within six months. Hitting out at Shah, Owaisi said, "As far as UCC is concerned, I wish and hope that Amit Shah goes to Adilabad, Khammam and Warangal and stands in the midst of all the Adivasis and tells them about implementation of the UCC. He does not have the "intellectual guts" to go and say this thing, because the Adivasis will reject the BJP".

The Adivasis have constitutional protection to protect their culture, the AIMIM leader said, adding that the UCC is not what is required. "What is required in this country is more freedom of speech and expression wherein people will not be targetted for the clothes they wear or for the religion they belong to," he said.

"For the past nine-and-a-half years, the BJP has been in power in our country (at the Centre). They have weakened the economy and destroyed small businesses. They have utterly failed on their promise of providing 2 crore jobs a year, and we have the highest unemployment of youth in the world. Instead of addressing these core issues relating to the development of the country, the BJP indulges in these issues (UCC, pilgrimages etc)," Owaisi said.

Reacting to Congress and BJP leaders targetting AIMIM during their election rallies, Owaisi said, "This is their political arrogance. They have come to know the strength of Majlis (AIMIM), that it is a powerful political party in Telangana. That's why they keep on taking Majlis name. It will neither benefit Congress nor BJP as the people of Telangana have already decided (on whom to support)".

He alleged that both Congress and BJP’s politics was based on hatred. "That's why I say the Telangana Congress President (A Revanth Reddy) belongs to RSS and today Mohan Bhagwat is having the remote control of Congress (controlling the Telangana Congress)," Owaisi further alleged.