PM insulted Babasaheb’s civil code by terming it communal: Pawan Khera

The opposition on Thursday, 15 August, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of peddling a "divisive agenda", with the Congress condemning his "communal civil code" remarks during his Independence Day speech as a "gross insult" to B.R. Ambedkar.

Congress leader Pawan Khera strongly condemned PM's remarks saying, "PM Modi referred to a code as communal, but that code was written by Babasaheb Ambedkar. It does not befit the prime minister of the country to insult Babasaheb Ambedkar on Independence Day."

PM Modi in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on Thursday spoke about the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the country, saying that the existing one is “communal” and “discriminatory” and that the time has come for a “secular civil code”.

The Congress also alleged that Modi's capacity for "malice, mischief, and maligning" history was on full display at the Red Fort.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh accused PM of distorting history.

Ramesh strongly criticised Modi's call for a Uniform Civil Code after he termed existing laws as "communal" and discriminatory.

In a post on X, Ramesh said, "The non-biological PM's capacity for malice, mischief, and maligning of history knows no bounds. It was on full display today from the Red Fort. To say that we have had a 'communal civil code' till now is a gross insult to Dr. Ambedkar, who was the greatest champion of reforms in Hindu personal laws that became a reality by the mid-1950s. These reforms had been bitterly opposed by the RSS and the Jan Sangh."

"While the diversity of Indian culture can and should be celebrated, in the process particular groups or weaker sections of society should not be disadvantaged. The resolution of disputes on this is not to eliminate all differences. Therefore a Uniform Civil Code is neither necessary nor desirable at this stage. Most countries are now moving towards recognising diversity and its existence is not discrimination but a sign of a strong democracy," Ramesh said.

Notably, this is the first time PM Modi has addressed the UCC issue in the last 11 years, though it has been a part of the BJP’s Lok Sabha election manifestos since 1989.

The BJP’s 2024 manifesto promised to implement UCC, asserting, “Article 44 of the Constitution designates the Uniform Civil Code as a directive principle of state policy. The BJP believes that true gender equality cannot be achieved until India adopts a Uniform Civil Code that safeguards the rights of all women. The BJP reaffirms its commitment to creating a Uniform Civil Code that combines the best traditional practices with modern principles.”

Dwelling on the issue of corruption, the Congress leader took a jibe at the BJP and said, "When the PM spoke about corruption, did he mention Ashok Chavan, Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, Suvendu Adhikari, or Himanta Biswa Sarma? Now that they are with the PM, does that mean they are no longer corrupt?"

Pawan Khera also reacted to Bangladesh's political crisis, saying, "Will he (PM) just keep mentioning and worrying about it, or will he actually take any action? What steps have been taken for the Hindus there? The country wants to know."

With agency inputs