BJP plays UCC card as campaigning for Uttarakhand, Goa, UP Phase-2 ends

Aditi Tandon

New Delhi, February 12

The ruling BJP on Saturday raised the pitch for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as campaigning for February 14 elections in Uttarakhand and Goa and second-phase polling in Uttar Pradesh drew to a close.

Shows you are losing, Kapil Sibal to Dhami

Reacting to Dhami’s UCC remark, Congress veteran Kapil Sibal tweeted, “Pushkar S Dhami, please don’t embarrass your party and yourself by making announcements about implementing the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand. This shows your party is losing in Uttarakhand and that you need some legal advice.”

586 In fray in UP

In the second phase of polls in Uttar Pradesh, 586 candidates are in the fray for 55 Assembly seats; 301 candidates are contesting for 40 seats in the single-phase Goa polls and 632 candidates for 70 seats in Uttarakhand.

Amid a raging hijab row, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said the ruling BJP, if re-elected, would constitute a high-level committee to draft the UCC, thereby realising the dream of the Constitution makers.

A common civil code will promote social harmony, gender equality and women empowerment, Dhami said, adding, “We will form a committee to draft the UCC. It will look at issues concerning marriage, divorce, landed property and succession.” He said the move would be a significant step towards the realisation of Article 44 of the Constitution.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi leading the offensive against the Congress and asking the voters to defeat Congress’ “appeasement politics.”

Campaigning in Khatima and Haldwani, Congress leader Priyanka Vadra flagged rising prices, joblessness and farm distress. She also attacked the BJP for dragging its feet on three farm laws for a year to “benefit industrialist friends”.