We will abolish the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) “when they will not be in the majority tomorrow,” Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee said on Saturday, in a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), about an hour after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to implement the law in the state to “stop appeasement politics”.
She also accused the BJP of filing false affidavits in a bid to invalidate her nomination from the Bhabanipur seat in south Kolkata for the assembly elections scheduled on April 29.
“They come during elections – Modi Bhai and Amit Bhai. After elections you will not see them. They have stopped central funds under various schemes. Trust Cobra, but never trust BJP. They want to bring uniform civil code and want to do away with other religions and traditions…,” Banerjee said, while addressing an election rally in Jhargram.
The remarks came hours after the Prime Minister said that the BJP would implement UCC in West Bengal to “stop the politics of appeasement”. The BJP manifesto had promised the same on Friday.
Addressing an election rally in Kishari in West Midnapore, Banerjee also accused the opposition party of trying to “invalidate” her nomination from Bhabanipur seat in South Kolkata.
“My fight is not just against the BJP, but also against the vanishing machine (Banerjee had on earlier occasions referred to the Election Commission as the vanishing machine). Yesterday, in a bid to invalidate my nomination, traitors filed two false certificates in my name,” said the Prime Minister, who is contesting against Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari. They finally failed. But they made an attempt so that I could not contest the elections.”
Meanwhile, the ECI website revealed that two independent candidates – Safar Sikh and Mumtaz Ali – had filed separate counter-affidavits challenging Banerjee’s nomination. In their counter-affidavits, they both alleged that Banerjee concealed facts relating to the criminal cases pending against her. “We therefore pray that the nomination of Mamata Banerjee, being a candidate created by the Trinamool Congress for the West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections from 159 Bhabanipur Assembly constituencies, is categorically rejected by the Returning Officer,” the affidavit said, a copy of which has been seen by HT.
The Kolkata district election official confirmed that two complaints had been filed against Banerjee, but refused to name the complainants.
At the rally in Bankura, Banerjee also attacked the BJP’s manifesto, saying, “Sankalp Patra is a pack of lies. It promises implementation of universal civil law. You will not have any rights over your religion, tradition and culture. Hindu wedding is different from tribal wedding and Christian wedding is different from Muslim wedding. But BJP wants everyone to follow one ritual. We will oppose this in every way.”
“I will strongly oppose this (UCC). They are in the majority today so they will pass the bill. When they are not in the majority tomorrow, we will scrap the bill… Free and fair elections cannot be held as long as they remain.”
Intensifying her attack on the BJP government at the Center and the Election Commission of India over the Special Intensive Review (SIR) exercise, the Prime Minister said: “SIR is a big scam that will be proven one day.”
BJP leader Rahul Sinha responded, saying, “These are all baseless allegations. Mamata Banerjee knows very well that she will lose in Bhabanipur this time and hence is trying to find a safe way out. Everyone knows that if a candidate submits a correct affidavit and nomination, no one can cancel it. Either she is not aware of these things or she is making baseless accusations…”
