Implementing UCC not easy, will affect all religions: Azad

Srinagar: Former Union minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Saturday cautioned the Centre over implementing a uniform civil code, saying it will affect all religions.

Talking to reporters here, he also said that implementing UCC will not be “easy as it was to revoke Article 370”.

“There is no question (of implementing it). It is not easy as it was to revoke Article 370. All religions are involved in it. Not only Muslims, but Christians and Sikhs also, tribals, Jains, Parsis, annoying all these people at once, will not be good for any government,” the chairman of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) said.

“So, I suggest this government not even think about taking this step,” he said.

UCC refers to a common set of laws that are applicable to all citizens of India that is not based on religion and dealing with marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption among other matters.

The DPAP chairman welcomed the announcement of the land-for-landless policy by the Jammu and Kashmir administration but demanded that land be given only to the poor residents of the Union Territory and not outsiders.

“Land should be given, but there is a condition. We welcome the announcement, but it should (be given) only to the poor residents of Jammu and Kashmir. That is important,” he said.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, who formed the DPAP in September last year after ending his more than five-decade-long association with the Congress, also batted for early assembly elections in the Union Territory.

“We have been waiting for the last many years when the assembly was dissolved in 2018. Since then, we have been waiting for the conduct of the elections. The people of J-K have been waiting for the restoration of the democratic setup in the state. When people will elect their representatives, they will become MLAs and form the government,” Azad said.

“Only elected representatives can work for the people in a democracy. Officers cannot run it for more than six months here or anywhere else in the country. It is important to have elected representatives. We have been continuously demanding that elections be conducted as soon as possible,” he added.

On the developments in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra, Azad said, “I have a high regard for (Sharad) Pawar, I wanted his party to be strong. But, because of the internal situation, whatever has happened, we are not happy with that. However, it is their internal matter.”

Earlier, AAP leader Nazir Itoo and his supporters joined the DPAP and were welcomed into the party by Azad. Itoo was also associated with the PDP earlier.