Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Apprehensive of the steady erosion in its minority support base, the principal opposition AIADMK has distanced itself from its national ally BJP by opposing the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government is pushing for. AIADMK general secretary and former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami (EPS) told reporters on Wednesday that the party stands by its 2019 Lok Sabha poll manifesto wherein it had urged the Union Government not to impose the UCC.
“There is no change in our stand. We have already made it clear in our manifesto for the 2019 parliamentary elections. You can refer to it,” Palaniswami said in response to a question on whether the party is supporting the UCC now. He was addressing the media ahead of the meeting of party District Secretaries and Headquarters functionaries in Chennai earlier in the day. The meeting was to discuss the preparations for the party's Madurai conference slated for July 20.
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On secularism, the 2019 manifesto of the party says, “Since the UCC is violative of the constitutional guarantees provided to minorities with regard to religion and religious rights, the AIADMK urges the Centre to desist from implementing it in any manner.”
When in power, the AIADMK supported the Citizen's Amendment Act (CAA) and NPR, allaying the fears of minority communities. However, a section of party leaders had faulted it and cited it as among the reasons for the erosion of the minority support base resulting in successive electoral routs. While in the 2019 LS poll, the party could win a lone seat, it was dethroned in the Assembly elections and the defeat in the civic poll has put a question mark over the leadership of EPS.
In opposing the UCC, Dravidian parties of all shades are united. It was the DMK, which was the first to condemn the Prime Minister's call for it, terming the move as a divisive and diversionary one. "Let there be a UCC for Hinduism first. Every person, including Scheduled Castes and tribes, should be allowed to perform pooja in any temple in the country. We do not want the UCC. The Constitution has given protection to every religion,” was the reaction of DMK spokesperson TKS Elangovan. Marumalarchi DMK's Vaiko and Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) leader Thol Thirumavalavan have criticised it as the agenda of the Sangh Parivar.
On the alliance for the upcoming 2024 LS poll, EPS said, “It is almost a year ahead. We will decide on the alliance when the elections are at hand. Who all are there in the AIADMK-led Front would be made known then."
"We have already clarified on the alliance with the BJP,” he hastened to add when questioned about the alliance with the saffron party. The recent war of words between the AIADMK and the BJP state leadership has exposed the chinks in the alliance. EPS appearing to be non-committal, according to analysts, is a strategy to dodge the saffron party from demanding a lion's share of seats. Already the BJP has been pitching for 25 seats and conceding that might not be possible for the AIADMK.
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