BJP will bring UCC in Uttar Pradesh if re-elected: Shah
What's the story
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttar Pradesh if it is re-elected in next year's Assembly elections. "This time, when the government comes to power, UCC will be implemented in Uttar Pradesh. UCC has already been implemented in many states," he said while addressing the BJP's state working committee meeting in Lucknow on Friday.
Political rhetoric
Shah contrasts SP's violence against Ram devotees with BJP's role
Shah also predicted that the Samajwadi Party would remain out of power for 30 years.
"Akhilesh Babu, mark my words, your party will not form the government in Uttar Pradesh for the next 30 years," Shah said.
Shah slammed the Samajwadi Party for violence against Ram devotees and contrasted it with the BJP's role in building the Ram temple.
He said, "You ordered firing on Ram devotees, we built the Ram temple."
Election integrity
Shah challenges opposition to debate vote theft allegations
Shah also challenged the opposition to debate allegations of vote theft in Parliament.
He likened the situation to blaming an umpire after losing a match.
This comes after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that votes were being stolen and poor voters were being deleted from electoral rolls.
The meeting was attended by several senior BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak.
UCC implementation
Shah reiterates BJP's commitment to implementing UCC
Several BJP leaders have pushed for the UCC since Uttarakhand became the first state to do so last year.
Recently, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called for the implementation of the UCC nationwide, saying Muslim women suffer the most in the absence of such a law.
Madhya Pradesh became the latest state after Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Assam, to pass a law on the Uniform Civil Code in August.