BENGALURU: Former finance minister P Chidambaram appealed to the people of Karnataka to fiercely resist and stop the entry of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) into the state, as they will divide and polarise Karnataka.
Chidambaram told reporters here on Tuesday that the BJP manifesto is overshadowed by two issues -- UCC and NRC. “I want to caution the people that this is the pernicious agenda creeping into South India. It is there in the north and they (BJP) are looking for a gateway in Karnataka. This will divide and polarise Karnataka, and create social conflict. People should fiercely resist and stop the entry of these sinister and pernicious agendas,” he said.
Terming the UCC a “polarising idea”, he said, “The matter was referred to the Law Commission, which said the UCC can’t be drafted because each religion has its own personal laws. In the name of UCC, you (BJP) are introducing a divisive agenda. If the people want UCC, there will be a clamour for UCC. No government should try to impose UCC on people. This is not the time to introduce it. Let there be a mass movement,” Chidambaram said, adding that Assam was divided and polarised when the BJP tried to introduce NRC and UCC there.
Regarding the 75 per cent reservation promise in the Congress manifesto, he said the 50 per cent cap on reservation being sacrosanct was before court, and the government would take legal measures to implement it, adding that Tamil Nadu had a 69 per cent reservation policy, while some Northeastern states had 100 per cent reservation policies.
He also took a dig at the Narendra Modi government that the average growth rate of GDP during the first five years of the UPA government was 8.5 per cent, and in its 10 years, was 7.5 per cent average, while it is just 5.5 per cent under the current government.
He attacked the state BJP government, saying it was formed through deceit and horse trading, though it had no mandate, and also demanded that Modi answer to the 40 per cent commission allegation.