KOZHIKODE: Eager to position the party as ‘the champion of the Muslim community against the onslaught of the Sangh parivar’, the CPM said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is primarily targeted against the community.
Inaugurating the party’s seminar on UCC in Kozhikode on Saturday, CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury alleged that the intention behind the proposed law is to create a Hindu-Muslim divide. It may be recalled that Muslim organisations had cautioned against portraying the UCC as a religious issue, which would, in their opinion, amount to falling into the trap set by the BJP.
But it seems that the CPM has not listened to the advice and has decided to go on treating it as a Muslim issue. Yechury said different sections such as tribal communities, Christians, Sikhs and Parsis are being exempted from the proposed UCC.
“Who is left?” he asked, adding that the exclusion has exposed the real purpose behind the exercise.
The CPM general secretary said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his latest speech, said there cannot be two laws in a family.
“There are many sets of laws that are validated by our Constitution. It is clear that the exercise is to sharpen the Hindu-Muslim communal polarisation ahead of the 2024 general election,” the CPM leader said.
‘Bid to convert India into Hindutva rashtra’
Sitaram Yechury said the move is part of the attempt to “convert India into a Hindutva Rashtra”. He, however, added that laws that are discriminatory should be dealt with and corrected in consultation with the entire community, Yechury said.
Apart from political leaders, prominent community leaders including Umar Faizi, C Muhammad Faizi, T P Abdulla Koya Madani, Hussein Madavoor, C P Umar Sullami, Dr Fazal Gafoor, T K Ashraf, Fr Joseph Kalarikkal, Fr T I James, Punnala Sreekumar and Arayakkandy Santhosh attended.
