Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Saturday said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would not infringe on the rights guaranteed to minorities under the relevant articles of the Constitution.
Mr. Muraleedharan attempted to assuage the fears of the Muslim and Christian communities in Kerala after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mooted a discussion on the UCC.
Church leaders, Muslim organisations, the Indian Union Muslim League, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) saw an ulterior motive in re-igniting the spirited debate on the UCC. They opined that the Bharatiya Janata Party aspired to impose the UCC to deprive minorities of their personal laws that govern marriage, divorce, and inheritance to appease the Sangh Parivar that sought to saffronise the country.