Hyderabad (Telangana) : All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his endorsement of the Uniform Civil Code in the country and asked 'will you strip the country of its pluralism and diversity?'

AIMIM chief said, "India's PM considers India's diversity & its pluralism a problem. So, he says such things... Maybe India's Prime Minister doesn't understand Article 29. Will you strip the country of its pluralism & diversity in the name of UCC?"

He further alleged that when the Prime Minister speaks of UCC, he is referring to Hindu Civil Code.

"When he speaks of UCC, he is speaking of Hindu Civil Code. Now they will treat all Islamic practices as illegal and will protect all Hindu practices under the law. I challenge him - can he abolish Hindu Undivided Family? Go and tell the Sikhs in Punjab about UCC, see what will be the reaction there...", he added.

Owaisi's remark comes after PM Modi said that even SC said Uniform Civil Code should be implemented.

"Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two (laws)? The Constitution also talks of equal rights...Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. These (Opposition) people are playing vote bank politics," said PM Modi while addressing Bharatiya Janata Party booth workers in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal.

Earlier today, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal criticized the PM, alleging for being habitual in diverting attention from other pressing issues in the country.

Venugopal asserted that PM Modi rarely addresses incidents like the violence in Manipur and urged him to address concerns regarding poverty, inflation, and unemployment before focusing on other matters.

"He (PM) should first answer about poverty, price rise and unemployment in the country. He never speaks on the Manipur issue where the whole state is burning. Manipur is burning for the last 60 days. He did not speak a word about it nor did he appeal for peace. He is just distracting people from all these issues. We're not going to fall for that," KC Venugopal said.
Notably, Part 4, Article 44 of the Indian Constitution, corresponds with Directive Principles of State Policy, making it mandatory for the State to provide its citizens with a uniform civil code (UCC) throughout the territory of India.