New Delhi: Punjab Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Bhagwant Mann has opposed the Uniform Civil Code in the country leaving the AAP high command, which has supported UCC in principle, in a tight spot. Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong pitch for the Uniform Civil Code, Bhagwant Mann has opposed its implementation.
Mann describes India as a bouquet: On July 4, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that every religion has its own culture and history and faith should not be tampered with while opposing UCC. “Our country is like a bouquet, in which there are flowers of every colour. There is a provision of seven rounds in the Hindu Marriage Act.
Sikhs say that Anand Karaj should be done before noon. Hindus choose an auspicious time for 'phere' (rounds) around midnight. Tribals have different customs, different from Jains. Why do you want the bouquet to be of only one colour?,” Mann said. The Punjab Chief Minister called for respecting all religions and beliefs. “Aam Aadmi Party is a secular party. It does not support any such agenda,” he said.
Also read: PM Modi forms Group of Ministers for deliberations over Uniform Civil Code
AAP in a tight spot over UCC: Mann's statement against the UCC has left the AAP top brass red-faced as the party has maintained that it supported the UCC in principle. Aam Aadmi Party General Secretary Sandeep Pathak had made it clear in the past about the Uniform Civil Code that the party supports it in principle.
“Article 44 says that there should be a UCC in the country, but wide consultations should be held with all religious leaders, political parties, and organizations and a consensus should be arrived at. Some decisions cannot be reversed. Some matters are fundamental to the nation,” he said.
Shiromani Akali Dal protests: Shiromani Akali Dal chief Paramjit Singh Sarna while clearing the stand on Uniform Civil Code said on Tuesday that he opposes the UCC. “The Sikh community is against this move,” Sarna, who is considered a senior leader of the Sikh-dominated area of Delhi said. The Shiromani Akali Dal has said that a signature campaign will be held in the Sikh-populated areas across the country.
