Jammu, Jan 30 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra on Thursday alleged that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and Waqf (Amendment) Bill are part of schemes to spread hatred and divide people of the country.

He also doubted that the forthcoming Union budget would provide any sort of relief to the people faced with growing unemployment and uncontrolled inflation over the past 10 years of the BJP-led government coming to power at the Centre.

Talking to reporters after leading a prayer meeting to pay tributes to Mahatma Gandhi on his martyrdom anniversary at the party headquarters here, Karra said the time has come for the country to rise to get freedom from the rulers spreading hatred in the country to remain in power.

"In my opinion, the UCC and Waqf (Amendment) Bill are linked to the sustained hatred being spread in the country. Both the UCC and the waqf issue are the outcome of their agenda of hate to create anarchy in the country," Karra said, responding to the questions on the implementation of UCC in BJP-led Uttarakhand and the joint parliamentary committee negating every change moved by the opposition members.

He alleged that there is a sustained campaign going on against all the minorities, not only Muslims but also Dalits and Christian and others as well, to isolate them under the policy of hate.

"It is astonishing that they (BJP leadership) are saying Hindus are in danger in a country of 140 crore population where Muslims are only 17 crore. The notion of a minority posing a threat to the majority shows their weakness and exposes their nefarious designs. It is the same nefarious design which was drafted by their party founders 100 years ago," he said.

He claimed that their slogan 'Abhi nahi toh kabhi nahi' (If not now then never) is to push hatred. "Earlier, it used to be Khelo (play) India but now they have turned it into Khodo (dig) India and they are doing everything to implement such things (to remain in power)." The Congress leader said the people of the country have started understanding their game plan and are supportive of 'Ganga–Jamuni Tehzeeb'.

Asked about his views on the upcoming Union Budget, he said the previous budgets of the BJP-led NDA have so far proved a "flop show". Therefore, he said, there is no hope that there will be a miracle budget that will help control the GDP, inflation, unemployment and improve deteriorating education and health sectors.

Paying rich tributes to Gandhi, Karra said his assassination on this day in 1948 by Nathuram Godse was not a murder of an individual but of the entire humanity and Gandhian ideology followed by his supporters around the globe.

"We have to popularise the Gandhian and Nehruian philosophy and counter the ideology of people like M S Golwalkar, V D Savarkar and Godse. The country got freedom in 1947 but we have to work together again to get freedom from those spreading hatred," he said, adding the RSS and BJP have never condemned Godse for the murder of Gandhi and claimed that a temple was constructed in his name after the BJP came to power in the country.

Karra said the people spreading hatred are not the well-wishers of the country and they are doing this to remain in power as all their policies related to economy and foreign affairs are a "failure".

"Only making good roads will not help a country to get recognition. Donald Trump has made this thing clear," he said, alleging that the new US president did not invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to his oath-taking ceremony recently. PTI TAS TAS KSS KSS

Uniform Civil Code criticised as part of an alleged campaign of hatred; budget unlikely to ease economic distress. The JK Congress president asserts the Uniform Civil Code and Waqf (Amendment) Bill are linked to a deliberate campaign of communal hatred aimed at isolating minorities and polarising society; he also expresses no confidence that the upcoming Union budget will remedy persistent economic problems, and advocates promoting Gandhian and Nehruvian principles to counter ideologies he describes as fostering division.