BJP will never implement Uniform Civil Code in Gujarat, alleges AAP

The BJP will never implement a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Gujarat, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Saturday, dubbing the saffron party's poll promise as "fake".

The reaction of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party came after the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its manifesto for the Gujarat Assembly polls, promising the implementation of a UCC in the state if it retains power.

"The BJP has ruled Gujarat for 27 years. After remaining at the helm for more than two decades, it is still making promises," the AAP's co-incharge for Gujarat, Raghav Chadha, told reporters here when asked for his party's view on the BJP's poll promise of implementing a UCC in the state.

"If it was indeed their intent, they would have implemented it much ago," Chadha said, asking, "Why didn't they implement it?"

"It is a fake promise. The BJP will never implement it (UCC)," he added.

On October 29, the Gujarat government announced that it would form a committee for the implementation of a UCC. Other BJP-ruled states, such as Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, have also promised to implement a UCC.

Chadha said neither the BJP nor the Congress is talking about the real issues in the run-up to the Gujarat polls.

The AAP is the only party that has come up with a "model for the economic uplift" of the people of Gujarat, he said, asserting that the party will emerge victorious in the state Assembly polls to be held in two phases on December 1 and 5.

"The Gujarat Assembly election is an election for change. Be it Saurashtra, north Gujarat, central Gujarat or south Gujarat -- there is a wave for change everywhere in the state and people will vote for it. And in Gujarat, a change means Arvind Kejriwal," the AAP leader said.