UCC to divert people's attention from important issues, says Pramod Tiwari

Amid the row over the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari on Saturday said that the UCC is BJP-led Central government's plan to divert people's attention from important issues like price rises, unemployment, and corruption.

He said that the Congress party will decide its stand on UCC after party-level strategy meeting.

"The government, which is answerable for price rises, unemployment, and corruption, will divert people's attention from important issues. We will meet and decide what our action plan will be. Right now, it's just word of mouth. We will decide when the draft is ready. We will decide on the goodwill of the 130 crore population," said Congress MP Pramod Tiwari.

Meanwhile, Himachal Pradesh PWD Minister Vikramaditya Singh said that the party will be supporting UCC whenever it comes and that the Congress has always contributed towards taking unity and integrity forward.

"We have said that whenever the Uniform Civil Code comes, we will support it. The Congress Party has always contributed towards taking unity and integrity forward," he said. Vikramaditya Singh is the son of state Congress chief Pratibha Singh and the late Virbhadra Singh, a six-time Chief Minister of the hill state.

Vikramaditya Singh had, however, slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for starting a new debate to mislead people. "Manipur has been burning for over a month and is on the verge of civil war. But no action has been taken against the Chief Minister. The BJP doesn't speak of the real burning issues in the country and starts a new debate to mislead people," he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group will hold a meeting on Saturday at former All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Sonia Gandhi's residence at 10, Janpath, in New Delhi, ahead of a discussion by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the UCC on July 3.