JE News Desk: Hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi battled for the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying that there should be equality for all instead of the country being run on ‘two laws’, several leaders from the opposition parties came forward and accused him of raising the issue due to the upcoming elections.

Opposition parties including Congress, AIMIM, and DMK also accused the prime minister of trying to distract people from ‘real issues’ including the Manipur violence, unemployment, and price rise.

PM Modi while addressing the BJP workers under the ‘Mera Booth Sabse Majboot’ campaign in the poll-bound Madhya Pradesh said that the Constitution of India talks of equal rights and the Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC.

"Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country be run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights...Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics,” the prime minister said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Opposition Slams PM Modi’s Remarks:

Reacting to PM Modi’s remarks on Uniform Civil Code, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi said that the prime minister considers India’s diversity and pluralism to be a problem.

“In Islam, marriage is a contract. It is different for other religions. Will you mix them all? Will you (the PM) snatch away pluralism and diversity in the name of UCC? I challenge PM, you have 300 MPs... Abolish the Hindu Undivided Family. Go and tell the Sikhs in Punjab about UCC and see what their reaction is...” the AIMIM chief said.

While, Tamil Nadu’s ruling party, DMK, also questioned PM Modi’s pitch for UCC. DMK leader TKS Elangovan said that a uniform code should first be applied to Hindus, who will then enable people of all castes to pray in temples.

"Uniform Civil Code should be first introduced in the Hindu religion. Every person including Scheduled Castes and Tribes should be allowed to perform pooja in any temple in the country. We don't want UCC (Uniform Civil Code) only because the Constitution has given protection to every religion," the DMK leader said.

Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal questioned PM Modi’s silence on Manipur violence and said he should first address issues related to price rise, unemployment, and poverty in the country.

“He [PM Modi] should first answer about poverty, price rise, and unemployment in the country. He never speaks on [the] Manipur issue, the whole state is burning. He is just distracting people from all these issues,” Venugopal said.