Daijiworld Media Network - Lucknow

Lucknow, Oct 30: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday announced that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would be implemented in Uttar Pradesh if the BJP-led NDA returns to power for a third consecutive term following the 2027 Assembly elections.

Shah made the announcement while addressing the inauguration of the BJP state executive committee meeting in Lucknow, which was organised as part of the party's preparations for the Assembly polls.

Uttar Pradesh BJP president and Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, both Deputy Chief Ministers and several senior party leaders were present at the meeting.

Addressing party workers, Shah urged them to put aside personal grievances and ambitions, strengthen the organisation and treat the 2027 Assembly election as their own battle.

Taking aim at Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, he said the BJP would respond to the Congress leader's "meaningless statements" by returning to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2027.

Shah also criticised the Samajwadi Party (SP) and its chief Akhilesh Yadav, recalling the firing on unarmed Ram devotees and kar sevaks in Ayodhya during the SP government's tenure.

"Today was the day when unarmed Ram devotees and kar sevaks were fired upon indiscriminately in Ayodhya during the then SP government and the water of the Saryu river turned red with their blood," he said.

Questioning Akhilesh Yadav's claim to power, Shah asked how the SP could seek to form the government again after the incident.

He further asserted that the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh was like "Angad's leg", which opposition parties could not shake, referring to the character from the Hindu epic Ramayana.

The Home Minister also recalled the contribution of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister late Kalyan Singh, saying he had taken a historic decision in support of the Ram Temple movement without worrying about the survival of his government.

Targeting the Congress and the SP, Shah said the SP had been continuously losing elections under Akhilesh Yadav's leadership, while the Congress had failed to return to power under Rahul Gandhi.

"If the opposition continued on the same path, it would remain out of power for a long time," he remarked.

Emphasising the importance of the BJP's organisational strength, Shah said the party's biggest asset was its cadre. He said the Centre and the state government had undertaken extensive development work, and it was now the responsibility of party workers to communicate these achievements to the public.

Expressing confidence in the party's future, he said the BJP would remain politically strong across the country, including Uttar Pradesh, for the next 30 years.

Shah praised the Yogi Adityanath government for improving the law-and-order situation and taking steps to attract investments into the state.

He claimed that even if the work undertaken by the previous Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) governments was combined, it would still fall short of the achievements of the Yogi government in a single term.

He also said the Narendra Modi-led Central government had provided adequate funds for Uttar Pradesh's development, while Adityanath had implemented central schemes with "full commitment".

Crediting the Chief Minister with taking "effective action" against organised crime, Shah said the state government had worked to eliminate the mafia network.

Reiterating the BJP's commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code, Shah declared that the party would introduce the legislation in Uttar Pradesh if it formed the government for a third time.

Referring to the abrogation of Article 370, he said the BJP had fulfilled its promise and claimed that no major violence had taken place during the process.

He also reiterated the government's target of making India drug-free by December 2029.

Claiming that incidents of riots in Uttar Pradesh had declined by 70 per cent since the BJP-led NDA came to power, Shah asked party workers to explain to the public the challenges the state could face if the BJP lost power.

Meanwhile, responding to opposition allegations of "vote theft", Shah said parties that had suffered repeated electoral defeats were now blaming the Election Commission for their failures.

He asserted that the BJP was ready to discuss the allegations in Parliament and challenged the opposition to hold a special session in which every charge could be examined and answered.

Referring to the BJP's recent electoral performances, Shah said the opposition had become complacent about election numbers, while the BJP had strengthened its position in several states.

He cited the formation of the BJP's first government in Odisha and the party's victories in Arunachal Pradesh, Haryana, Maharashtra, Bihar and Assam, besides its return to power in Delhi after a long gap.

Recalling the period when former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi was in office, Shah said the BJP had once been mocked but had transformed those challenges into strengths.

"Today, Narendra Modi has become Prime Minister for a third consecutive term, and the National Democratic Alliance governs 22 states," he said.

Shah also recalled the BJP's electoral journey in Uttar Pradesh, particularly the 2014 and 2017 elections. He said that in 2014, the party had only a limited number of MLAs in the state, prompting him to work at the tehsil level to strengthen the organisation.