New Delhi, Oct 18 (IANS): Any move to push the agenda of Uniform Civil Code is counterproductive for the rights of women as "uniformity is not the guarantee for equality", the Communist Party of India-Marxist said on Tuesday.

Questioning the intentions of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government, the CPI-M said it was apparent that "their interest is not in securing women's equality but in targeting the minority communities, particularly the Muslim minority".

"With the offensive of the communal forces on the very identity of minority communities, any move to push the agenda of Uniform Civil Code as is being done by the government directly and through its institutions is counterproductive for the rights of women. Uniformity is not the guarantee for equality," the party said in a statement.

The CPI-M also came out in support of the demand by a few Muslim women groups against the practice of arbitrary and instant triple talaq. 

"This specific practice is not permitted in most Islamic countries. Acceptance of this demand will bring relief to affected women," it said.

However, the Left party said that all personal laws, including those for the majority community, require reform.

"In this context the claims being made by government spokespersons that personal laws for Hindu women have already been reformed shows that their interest is not in securing women's equality but in targeting the minority communities, particularly the Muslim minority," the CPI-M observed. 

"Even now laws concerning, adoption, property rights and even the right to choose your own partner discriminate against Hindu women," it added.