Congress-led UDF in Kerala announces series of programmes against UCC, Manipur violence

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM — The Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) on Monday announced a series of programmes against the Union government’s move to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and its failure to curb the ethnic violence in Manipur.

Leader of Opposition and UDF chairperson V D Satheesan said the front has observed that the Sangh Parivar’s move of initiating a discussion on UCC was an attempt to create a division in society.

The UDF has decided to organise a ‘Bahuswaratha Sangamam’ (roughly translated as a meet to defend pluralism) on July 29 in protest against the implementation of UCC, he said. Satheesan said no party from the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) would be invited to the meeting.

His statement came days after the CPI(M) announced that it will conduct a seminar on UCC on July 15 and that all secular-minded parties would be invited, but not the Congress, saying it does not have a united stand on the matter.

The CPI(M) had invited the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a major ally of the UDF, for the seminar, but the Congress ally rejected the Left party’s overtures to take part in its seminars.

The IUML had said the Left party was trying to create “conflict” and “division” by not inviting the Congress.

Addressing a press conference after the UDF meeting, Satheesan said his party will not “fall” into the trap laid by the BJP.

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“Even the Union government has no idea about the UCC. There’s no draft on UCC. There is no clarity. The Sangh Parivar initiated the talk on UCC to divide the people and the society,” Satheesan said.

A strong political debate has been kicked off in the state over the UCC after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently, made a strong push for implementing the civil code by asking how the country can function with dual laws that govern personal matters.

Condemning the violence in Manipur, Satheesan said minorities including Christians and their institutions are being targeted there.

The northeastern state of Manipur has been on the boil since May 3 following violent clashes between members of the Meitei and Kuki communities with at least 150 people killed and several hundreds injured over the last two months.

“The UDF will bring together people from all walks of life and expose the BJP’s move to divide the people and the CPI(M)’s move to exploit the situation,” Satheesan said.

He also added that the UDF will not join in any sort of protest with the LDF on the UCC matter.

“Earlier, senior CPI(M) leaders were in support of the UCC. CPI(M) has no credibility. We would like to know whether they have deviated from their earlier stand. Congress never said that we would implement the UCC. Currently, CPI(M) is functioning as a B-team of the BJP,” Satheesan alleged.

The senior Congress leader also said the UDF will organise a series of protests against the alleged “misrule” of the Left government in the state.

Attacking the CPI(M)-led Left government in Kerala, Satheesan said the corruption allegations raised by the Congress still stand and the chief minister has not met the media in the last 150 days.

“The local self government bodies failed to control the stray dog menace. Agriculture is in crisis. The higher education sector is in shambles with fake certificate cases and other frauds,” Satheesan said.

He alleged that the ration supply in fair price shops had completely stopped.

Satheesan also charged the Left government of failing to control inflation.

The UDF will organise a march from ration shops to the state secretariat and as part of it, protest marches will be held from September 4 to 11, he added.

The Congress leader also criticised the government for allegedly targeting the media that are “critical” of the ruling dispensation.

The UDF meeting also protested against the Gujarat High Court verdict dismissing the appeal by senior leader Rahul Gandhi who was convicted in a defamation case and subsequently disqualified from Parliament.