BENGALURU: Lauding the poll promise of the BJP to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Karnataka, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said Muslim women would become equal to their male counterparts.
He was talking to TOI on the sidelines of the interaction with North East Indian voters from BTM Layout, who, as per a BJP functionary are about 4,000 in the BTM AC alone and one lakh in the city.
Sarma was confident that the community would add to the BJP support base in the state as the party's “organic votebank” because their family members were also BJP supporters back home.
During his interaction, he was giving tips to party supporters on how to defend the stance of the party on various issues — including the Lingayat reservations.
About Uniform Civil Code promised by BJP in the state, Sarma told TOI, “Once Karnataka has the uniform civil code, Muslim women will have legal rights and become equal citizens with their male counterparts. This is a long-due social justice which we will deliver this time. CAA act is already passed and it is just a matter of adoption of the rules. Once you do that you can have a National Register of Citizens, which will be sound and foolproof”.
The major poll issue in the state, he said, was to ensure social justice along with development.
"Also, to resolve the complicated issue in the country like the UCC-NRC, stand by the poor and marginalised — these are the basic issues for BJP in Karnataka in the elections. So far as national agenda is concerned, we all know that Modi is trying hard to make Amritkal a transformational era, that course will continue,” he added.
He expressed confidence in the BJP coming to power a second term and said, “Last time we won 105. This time our aim should be 130 to 150.”
’Narendra Modi is snake when it comes to Congress corruption’
When asked by the media about the impact of personal remarks made by political leaders on the election, Sarma cited a statement made by Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, who referred to Modi as a snake. Sarma expressed his agreement with this characterization, but clarified that it only applies to Modi's stance against the corruption within the Congress party.
He warned that Modi's actions would have consequences for the party and they should be prepared for them.
Responding to why outfit such as the Bajrang Dal is not being banned while PFI will be, he said, “Bajarang Dal doesn't do bomb blast and does not want Shariat in India, and does not campaign for an Islamist fundamentalist country in India".