UCC bid by BJP to 'boost' Hindutva sentiments ahead of Lok Sabha elections: RSP

The Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) on Saturday joined a group of Opposition parties in openly opposing the plans to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), with the party saying it is a strategy of the BJP-RSS to “boost” Hindutva emotions to reap electoral benefits in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The party’s central secretariat analysed the Karnataka election results as a signal that the entire country is “now readying to block the BJP’s march to recapture power” in the general elections next year even as it is basing its election plank based on inauguration of Ram temple and UCC.

RSP General Secretary Manoj Bhattacharya told a press conference that the BJP is banking on UCC, as it is clear now for the saffron party that issues like the Balakot air strike or ethnic violence in Manipur would not fetch votes for them.

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“We should have had a national debate on this but instead the Prime Minister unilaterally declared the intent. The Prime Minister is a dictator of its worst kind. He claims to be the ‘Pradhan Sevak’ but he now wants to act like a king or an emperor who rules with his ‘sengol’,” he said.

Senior RSP MP N K Premachandran said the party leadership had a detailed discussion on the UCC and decided to strongly oppose it.

“We are convinced that it is a strategy of the BJP-RSS to boost Hindutva emotions to reap electoral benefits in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. For them, the main plank will be the inauguration of Ram Temple and the UCC. They have to work on the emotions of a section of the Hindus that they are for Hindutva,” he said.

He said the intent of the government on the UCC is not progressive and implementing “regressive politics”. The latest round of discussions on the UCC is aimed at targeting a particular minority community though the UCC would impact not just Muslims but others like tribals, a section of Hindus and other minorities.

“The ulterior motive is clear as the government intends to bring it at the fag end of its tenure,” Premachandran said.