Kerala Governor supports bringing Uniform Civil Code

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan has supported bringing a Uniform Civil Code and said anyone who has sworn to the constitution will never oppose it.

Asked about his opinion on the Uniform Civil Code on Friday, he said, "Anyone who has sworn to the Constitution will not say that it should not come.”

"The Hindu code is already there, did it bring uniformity in Hindus, Sikhs and Jains? We are a country of diversity,” Khan said in a media event. "Uniform civil code is not about marriages or customs… It is about equal justice.” "There are cases where people have converted to have two wives. I will not name anyone,” he said.

On the recent controversy around hijab, he said, "Who is stopping from wearing a burqa? This is a free nation. But institutions also have the right to have their dress code. There are institutions that allow hijab, one can go there,” he said.

Commenting on the Shah Bano case, Khan, who quit the Congress in 1986 because of his differences with the leadership over its handling of the issue, said he stands by his views.”

"I had said that making a law is not a big deal, law can be changed by Parliament in the future… but the people who speak against the country, people who support violence, bowing to them was a crime against the nation according to me,” he said.

"Before 1947, they said there are two nations, in 1986 the successors of that line of thought said we have a separate identity. My stand was against that separate identity. I still stand by it. There is no change in my thoughts,” he added.

Asked if it was appeasement politics, he said it was appeasement of a certain section as the community at large only suffered because of it. Khan, who was recently removed from the post of the Chancellor of the Kerala Kalamandalam deemed university and replaced by Mallika Sarabhai, said he has congratulated his successor, and hoped the state government would not interfere in her work.

"She is a big name in the art world. I congratulate her and wish her success and hope government will not interfere in her work,” he said.

Asked if he was being targeted by the state government, he said, "There are 15 universities and I am the Chancellor. This was a small institution. Give me one instance when I interfered in the work of the government, and I will give my resignation."