New Delhi, Aug 15 (IANS): Congress leader Pawan Khera on Thursday strongly condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks during his address to the nation on Independence Day where he referred to the existing civil code as "communal" and "discriminatory."

"PM Modi referred to a code as communal today, but that code was written by Babasaheb Ambedkar. It does not befit the Prime Minister of the country to insult Babasaheb Ambedkar on Independence Day," he told IANS.

PM Modi in his Independence Day speech from the ramparts of Red Fort on Thursday spoke about the need for a Uniform Civil Code (UCC) for the country, saying that the existing one is “communal” and “discriminatory” and that the time has come for a “secular civil code”.

Notably, this is the first time PM Modi has addressed the UCC issue in the last 11 years, though it has been a part of the BJP’s Lok Sabha election manifestos since 1989.

The BJP’s 2024 manifesto promised to implement UCC, asserting, “Article 44 of the Constitution designates the Uniform Civil Code as a directive principle of state policy. The BJP believes that true gender equality cannot be achieved until India adopts a Uniform Civil Code that safeguards the rights of all women. The BJP reaffirms its commitment to creating a Uniform Civil Code that combines the best traditional practices with modern principles.”

Dwelling on the issue of corruption, the Congress leader took a jibe at the BJP and said, "When the PM spoke about corruption, did he mention Ashok Chavan, Praful Patel, Ajit Pawar, Suvendu Adhikari, or Himanta Biswa Sarma? Now that they are with the PM, does that mean they are no longer corrupt?"

Pawan Khera also reacted to Bangladesh's political crisis, saying, "Will he (PM) just keep mentioning and worrying about it, or will he actually take any action? What steps have been taken for the Hindus there? The country wants to know."