Congress leader and former Union Minister Manish Tewari on Tuesday warned the Centre not to tinker with the Uniform Civil Code, and instead, advised it to keep personal laws untouched.
"The Uniform Civil Code has been on the agenda of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) ever since its inception. But let's not forget the fact that India is a diverse country, where people follow their own personal laws which have been evolved through traditions and customs going back thousands and thousands of years," Tewari told ANI
"So, if the government tries to 'gerrymander' with the personal laws of communities and people as to how they are supposed to get married and cremated or buried after their demise. How they are supposed to conduct their social lives," Tewari added..
Tewari further added, "It is going to create an absolute havoc in the country; there would be a billion mutinies. Therefore, under those circumstances personal laws are best left untouched. In the past 64 years we have been able to very very equanimously live with communities following their own personal laws which have been evolved out of their religious traditions...any attempt by the government to upset the intricate balance will only destroy Indian society and it would tear the society asunder from within."
In the Lok Sabha the BJP led NDA Government for the first time put forth its stand by hinting that further steps on the issue of the Uniform Civil Code if any to be taken after wide consultations with stakeholders.
It may be noted the Uniform civil code is part of BJP's election manifesto and the party is a staunch supporter of overhauling the system cutting across religious lines.