Karnataka Minister C.T. Ravi on Wednesday said "time is ripe" for bringing in uniform civil code (UCC) in the country, as there was demand for "equality" from across the board now.
Pointing at opposition parties and those opposing Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) seeking equality, he said, as those who desired for inequality in the past are now seeking equality, the time was right to bring in UCC now.
"As a BJP spokesperson if I have to say time is ripe to bring in uniform civil code, why because, everyone is speaking about equality. There is no time ripe than this to bring in UCC," Ravi said.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, he said, "There is some kind of acceptance now, all these days those who were opposing are now asking for equality.
Those who were feeling that BJP had the lease on chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' are now saying 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' and are also chanting 'Vande Mataram'.
They are holding national flag and roaming around, so the time is ripe.
This is my opinion holding a responsible position in the party, he added.
Responding to a query on whether there have been discussions on bringing in UCC in party forums and will they be sending any recommendations in this regard to the Centre, the Kannada and culture minister said, UCC has been part of party's agenda since the time when BJP was born in 1980.
He said, "it continued to remain part of BJP's agenda in 2014 and 2019 (Lok Sabha polls), we have been saying it since the beginning, at that time no one was speaking about UCC, now everyone is speaking about equality, so the time is ripe."
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When pointed out that none of the opposition parties or those opposing CAA and NRC are speaking about UCC, Ravi said, they are asking for equality.
"Noting that the laws (CAA/NRC) were against equality, they are demanding for equality. Their demand is equality and our demand is also equality.."
Asked why BJP was not implementing UCC, despite coming to power for second time at the Centre, Ravi said, "We don't have any fear, we have fulfilled the promise like Article 370. On Ram Mandir issue Supreme Court itself has given a verdict that majority of the people in the country accepts, so at the right time we have been doing what is right".
"I am saying the time is right now for UCC, as everyone is speaking about equality, those who were desiring for inequality are now wishing for equality," he added.
Condemning violence during anti-CAA protests in Delhi, the minister said, despite the prime minister and home minister reiterating that the law won't take away anyone's citizenship, rather it will be given to those coming as refugees after facing religious persecution, the agitations are happening as part of a larger conspiracy.
He claimed that there was a conspiracy to create anarchy in the country in the name of CAA.
