Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday urged the Members of Parliament from the southern state to adopt a unanimous stand in the House against the BJP government’s move to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country.
The CM said such announcements (regarding the implementation of the UCC) were made without due consultations with various castes and religious groups and have caused great anxiety among minorities in the country.
He was speaking at a meeting of MPs from the state convened here ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament beginning on July 20, a CMO statement said.
“MPs representing various constituencies of Kerala, a model state for the whole country in terms of secularism, should adopt a unanimous stand on the matter,” the CM said. “Taking decisions on personal laws in haste without due consultations is not at all conducive in a democratic system.”
At a time when trust and equal participation of all sections are essential for the unity and integrity of the country, the UCC should not be a move to instill fear and apprehension in the minds of some minority groups, Vijayan further said. “This is the opinion of all who believe in secular and democratic values.”
The Chief Minister also sought the intervention and support of the MPs on various issues the state is facing, including the delay in getting GST compensation from the union government and the cutting down of the state’s borrowing limit by the Centre.
The MPs should raise their voice against the union finance ministry’s action cutting the borrowing limit which would adversely impact the development expenditure and infrastructure development programmes of the southern state, he said.
The GST Council is yet to take any favourable decision on the extension of the GST compensation period, he explained.
The MPs, in turn, assured the CM that they would stand united to get the state’s deserved share in this matter, the statement said.
Vijayan also wanted the MPs to put pressure on the Centre to allow charted flights to be operated to bring non-resident Keralites to the home state during Onam season as airline companies are charging exorbitant fares.
Among other things, the CM also wanted the support and intervention of the MPs in getting the Centre’s nod for the ‘Point of Call’ status for Kannur airport, apart from getting clearance for the formation of a special purpose vehicle for the execution of the project to set up a proposed medical devices park in the state capital, as well as to remove the procedural hurdles for the take over of the healthcare product manufacturer HLL Lifecare Limited by the state government.
Besides the CM and MPs, various state ministers and the chief secretary along with departmental secretaries also took part in the meeting.
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