UCC part of Constitution, not idea propagated by us or BJP, says RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country, RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale on Thursday said that the UCC is a part and parcel of the Constitution and that it was not an idea propagated by the BJP or the Sangh. In an interview to News 18, he said that the Sangh never approached the central government for its implementation and the misunderstanding created over the UCC will “further divide society”. “The uniform civil code, until it is implemented, has to be discussed in a democracy through a democratic process. That is why the law commission has asked for opinions. Many people may oppose it, but those who are doing it don’t know what the UCC is,” News 18 quoted him as saying. In the capital to attend a programme on ‘Hindutva’s tryst with politics: Legacy of Dr Syama Prasad Mukherjee’ on Thursday, the RSS general secretary said the UCC is not the idea of the BJP but was suggested by founding fathers of the Constitution. “It is there in the directive principles. Why is it there in the directive principles? It is there because it is part of the Constitution. It is also part and parcel of the state’s structure, which means administration, governance, law framing etc can happen based on that. Muslims and Hindus must be speculating over several things, but the UCC is not only about those,” he added. UCC included larger socio-legal issues’ Hosabale explained how the UCC does not only address polygamy or other Muslim social customs. He claimed that it was primarily about social and legal issues pertaining to upkeep, heirship, succession, and tribals, among other things. “When the Uttarakhand government appointed a committee including judicial officers, around 4.5 lakh people had given their opinion. Hardly 0.01 per cent was anything about Muslim society; 99.9 per cent was about maintenance, inheritance, marriage act, succession, property law, tribals. These things featured in the suggestions and opinions collected from the people," News 18 quoted the RSS leader as saying. “In Telangana, a section of Muslims started a signature campaign saying they do not want UCC. They feel that if UCC is implemented, they cannot live here. Both the approaches (by Hindus and Muslims) are wrong,” he further added. ‘Awareness on UCC must’ Hosabale added that the media, think tanks, and the ruling party at the Centre should all actively engage in educating the public about the real meaning of the UCC. “I request the party people to educate people first. Think tanks, media personnel should educate people and explain what the UCC is. Otherwise, we will all break our heads over it, further divide society without understanding what it is,” he said. He said that the RSS never approached the government requesting them to implement the UCC, “The RSS never never passed a resolution on it; RSS functionaries have not said anything about the UCC until now. Jana Sangh, a political party, talked about it and it is the party’s job to implement the Constitution while in power,” he added. PM makes a strong pitch for UCC Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 27 June made a strong pitch for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying the Constitution mentions of having equal rights for all citizens. Addressing a gathering of party workers in Bhopal, PM Modi said the BJP has decided it would not adopt the path of appeasement and vote bank politics. He said the opposition is using the issue of UCC to mislead and provoke the Muslim community. “You tell me, in a home, how can there be one law for one member and another law for another member?” asked PM Modi. “Will that home be able to function? Then how will the country be able to function with such a dual system? We have to remember that even in India’s Constitution, there is a mention of equal rights for all,” he said. “These people (opposition) level allegations against us but the reality is that they chant Musalman, Musalman. Had they really been (working) in the interests of Muslims, then Muslim families would not have been lagging in education and jobs,” he added. With inputs from agencies