New Delhi

Former External Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid on Monday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party over Union Home Minister Amit Shah's remarks on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), saying no ideology can be above the Constitution.

This comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted that the UCC will be implemented by 2029 in the 21 states where the BJP and NDA are in power. Shah also asserted that the government is committed to deporting all illegal immigrants from the country.

In response to Shah's remarks over UCC, Khurshid told ANI, "They (BJP) hold an ideology with which we do not agree. We believe there is a need to understand the Constitution. Whatever your ideology may be, it cannot diverge from the Constitution."

Questioning the implementation of UCC in BJP-ruled states, Khurshid said the law must be tested before the higher judiciary.

"What has been done in Uttarakhand or other states -- and what you intend to do elsewhere -- must first be tested in the High Court or Supreme Court, particularly regarding fundamental rights and the freedom to adhere to one's religious faith. How the court accepts it depends on its verdict," he said.

Taking a political jibe at the BJP, Khurshid added, "Until the verdict is out, they may continue to say whatever they wish about the UCC. If they want to keep winning elections by making such statements, let them do so."

He noted that the Uttarakhand UCC has already been challenged in court, and it would be up to the judiciary to decide whether to hear the matters collectively or separately.

"It has been challenged; I am aware that it has been challenged in Uttarakhand. The case filed there is currently pending and is yet to be heard. I imagine the situation will be similar in other states as well. Time will tell whether hearings will take place in various High Courts or if the Supreme Court will consolidate the matters, have them transferred to itself, and hear them," he told ANI.

When asked about Amit Shah's remarks over Gen Z protests, he said, "What kind of dialogue have you held with the youth? The Supreme Court had to intervene. Pellet guns were fired. That was hardly a situation conducive to dialogue. The 'Cockroach Party' is a new pressure group; time will tell what political shape it takes, as the aspirations of the youth are being crushed. You do not engage in dialogue with the opposition, yet you speak of dialogue."

Congress leader Rashid Alvi on Monday questioned the BJP-led government's focus on the Uniform Civil Code, asking whether it would address issues such as unemployment, economic concerns and fuel prices.

He alleged that the issue was being used to target Muslims.

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Speaking to ANI, Alvi said, "Over the past 12 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party has been doing everything that goes against Muslims. Will the UCC improve the economic situation? Will the UCC eliminate unemployment? Will the UCC bring down petrol and diesel prices? You intend to implement it in 21 states. The very concept of a Uniform Civil Code implies uniformity within civil laws. Currently, Hindus, Muslims, and Christians have distinct personal laws.”