UCC: Congress to block CPM move; KC Venugopal holds talks with Muslim leaders

Kozhikode: In a bid to block the CPM’s move to politically take up the protests against the implementation of Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the All India Congress Committee (AICC) leadership on Tuesday held talks with Muslim leaders. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal held talks over the phone with leaders Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal, Muhammad Jifri Muthukkoya Thangal and Kanthapuram AP Aboobacker Musliyar.

As per reports, Congress has assured the Muslim organisations to raise the UCC as a general issue. Amid the meeting, Venugopal stressed that the party has always maintained a secular stance, whereas the CPM is trying to turn UCC into a Hindu-Muslim issue. 

The Congress move comes in wake of the CPM’s allegations that the former lacks a proper stance over the UCC issue. Further, certain leaders of the Muslim League and the Samastha had also expressed displeasure over the Congress not clarifying its stance in this regard. Following this, the KPCC decided to hold a meeting on Wednesday to formulate campaign activities. 

Meanwhile, a meeting of Muslim organisations convened by the League to plan the anti-UCC protest activities is in progress in Kozhikode. The coordination meeting has been attended by representatives of various organisations, including Kanthapuram Sunni faction. 

The meeting was chaired by Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal. Samastha education board secretary AK Abdul Hameed attended the meeting representing the Kanthapuram faction. It is learnt that the meeting will also discuss taking legal action over the union government’s move to implement UCC in the country.