UCC is BJP's political tool to sharpen communal polarisation: Sitaram Yechury

Kozhikode: The Uniform Civil Code is BJP's political tool to sharpen communal polarisation, CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Saturday.

He was speaking at CPM's seminar against the proposed implementation of UCC at Swapna Nagari in Kozhikode on Saturday.

"Discriminatory laws must be corrected in consultation with the entire community, not by imposing UCC from the top," Yechury said after inaugurating the event.

"Uniformity does not mean equality. The CPI(M) stands for equality like the Constitution of India stands for equality. And it's that equality that we need to fight for...that everyone of us is first a human being and then everything else follows," Yechury said. 

He added that Kerala was the only state where he was not asked about his religion or caste.

"Kerala is the only state where I am treated as a human being," he said.

The CPI(M) leader pointed out that the 21st Law Commission, appointed by the Modi government, had made it clear that the UCC was "neither necessary nor desirable at this stage". Yechury said any effort to impose uniformity will tear our social fabric. "UCC is a slogan that is meant to sharpen communal polarisation and not to actually achieve any uniformity at all...but to be used as a political tool by the BJP for sharpening communal polarisation," Yechury added.

The mega event has a line-up of 28 speakers. Interestingly, not a single Muslim woman figured in the speaker list.

The event was also noticed for the absence of LDF convener E P Jayarajan.

Associations of the Muslim community including Samastha Kerala  will attend the seminar. Many VIPs including MP Elamaram Kareem, MP Jose K Mani, ministers P A Mohammed Riyas, A K Saseendran, Ahmed Devarkovil and the Thamarassery bishop Pamplani are also invited to the event.