Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday (October 12) reiterated the BJP's push to implement the UCC in Jharkhand but emphasized that it would exclude tribals from its ambit. Speaking at an election rally in Jharkhand's Baghmara, just a day ahead of the first phase of voting scheduled for November 13, the Union Home Minister stated that while Congress and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha are spreading lies about the implementation of the UCC in the state, he wanted to assure the public that its implementation would not affect the tribals, as they would be exempted from the bill's ambit.
"These people (JMM, Congress, and RJD) are spreading the lie that if UCC comes, tribals will face problems. We have decided that UCC will come to Jharkhand and it will come to stop infiltration, but our tribals will be kept out of the ambit of UCC," the Union Minister stated.
"The implementation of the UCC will have no impact on the tribal population in the state," he remarked.
Significantly, during the public rally, Shah took a dig at Congress by accusing them of being an "anti-backward class" party. The Union Minister cited several instances where he claimed Congress' anti-backward stance had been exposed. He mentioned, "Congress is an anti-backward class party. In 1955, the Kaka Kalelkar Commission was formed, which recommended reservations for backward classes, but Nehru ji did not agree."
"Later, the Mandal Commission was formed, but Indira ji did not accept its recommendations either. When Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister of the country, the Backward Classes Commission was given constitutional status, and the backward classes got 27 percent reservation," Shah added.
Further, in his speech lashing out at Congress, Shah also referred to party president Mallikarjun Kharge's statement to his party units on balancing poll promises with fiscal prudence.
"The BJP fulfils the promises it makes. Recently, Congress national president Kharge ji had to say that promises should be made which can be fulfilled. In Karnataka, Himachal, and Telangana, Congress made promises that could not be fulfilled," the Union Home Minister remarked.
