Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national president Mayawati on Sunday stated that the party was “not against” Uniform Civil Code (UCC), but it “does not support the way BJP is trying to implement it.”

“Our party (BSP) is not against the implementation of UCC but we do not support the way BJP is trying to implement Uniform Civil Code in the country. It is not right to politicise this issue and forcefully implement UCC in the country,” she said, reported ANI.

Earlier, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) expressed its support for UCC “in principle”. AAP national general secretary Sandeep Pathak had said, “We support Uniform Civil Code in principle. Article 44 also says there should be UCC in the country.” Pathak, however, added that there should be “wider consultation with all religious leaders, political parties, and organisations, and a consensus should be built”.

On Saturday, Congress’s Parliamentary Strategy Group held a meeting, where it was decided that the party will wait for the BJP Government to take the next step and come out with a draft Bill, and refrain from “rushing in” with its opposition to the idea in the absence of a Bill. The view at the meeting was that the party should not oppose much-needed reforms in personal laws such as “equality of inheritance”. However, the party continues to hold the view that the UCC could be an assault on diversity.

VD Satheeshan, LoP Kerala Assembly and Congress leader Sunday told reporters, “The Law Commission appointed by the Central government itself has made it very clear that there is no need for a UCC. So we are also taking the same stand that there is no need for UCC at this point of time. BJP is bringing this matter to make a split among the people.”

The debate over UCC was reignited after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a pitch for it at an event in Bhopal on Tuesday, saying “how can a country run with two kinds of laws”.