Muslim Personal Law Beginning Of Congress' Appeasement: Amit Shah

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday criticised the Congress party for supporting changes to the Constitution that he believed were unfair. He accused the party of supporting personal laws for Muslims on marriage, but not addressing similar issues in criminal matters. Shah argued that this was against the equality promised in the Indian Constitution under Articles 14 and 15.

"Why hasn't UCC come yet? It didn't come because after the Constituent Assembly was concluded and elections were over, the country's first PM Nehru Ji introduced Muslim Personal Law, not UCC. I want to ask the Congress party in this House that in a secular nation, should there be a common law for every religion or not? Why do they support the Muslim Personal Law? There can be no bigger political maneuver than this. They started appeasement right there by introducing the Muslim Personal Law," said Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Rajya Sabha.

Shah pointed out that the BJP had already implemented the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Uttarakhand, fulfilling its promise in the state.

He also stated that the BJP planned to introduce the UCC in every state of India soon, but said that “appeasement politics” was stopping its nationwide implementation.

Shah also questioned why personal laws were allowed in certain areas, such as marriage, but not in criminal matters, calling this inconsistency a violation of Article 14 and 15, which guarantee equality before the law.

Congress Considered Constitution 'Private Fiefdom' Of One Family, Amended It To Stay In Power: Shah

Shah also attacked the Congress for bringing various amendments to the Constitution, saying the opposition party considered it as the "private fiefdom" of one family and amended it to remain in power.

Replying to a discussion on the "Glorious Journey of 75 Years of the Constitution of India", Shah also accused the Congress of being anti-reservation and said it never worked for the benefit of the backward classes.

The minister also chided the Congress for "finding faults" in EVMs after losing elections.

At the outset, he noted that the Constitution strengthened the roots of democracy and the transfer of power happens without shedding even a drop of blood.

Shah listed many amendments made to the Constitution by the Congress, claiming the party did so for its own benefit.

Even before the first elections in the country, Jawaharlal Nehru effected the first Constitutional amendment to curtail the freedom of expression, he claimed.

"The Congress considered the Constitution as 'private fiefdom' of one family and deceived Parliament," Shah said.

He also charged that the Congress deprived Muslim women of their rights for years only for vote bank politics.

"They (Congress) did nothing except eulogising one family," Shah said.