Uniform Civil Code, judicial reforms among key pending issues: Tejasvi Surya

As in the case of abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi would deal with these issues successfully, he said during an interactive session at a `Youth Conclave'' organized to mark Modi''s 71st birthday. 

"Many legal reforms are yet to be carried out. The BJP tried to bring in judicial reforms in 2014. Neither the Constitution nor the founding fathers had envisioned a system where judges will appoint judges in a very opaque system. No country in the world has an opaque system like this," Surya said in response to a question. 

"The PM and then law minister Arun Jaitley made an attempt to change this system and bring in a bill for judicial reforms, which was passed but was later struck down. That is a very important pending reform," said the MP from Karnataka. 

"Uniform Civil Code is a very important commitment of this country and our constitutional promise from a very long time, which is also pending," he said. 

Electoral reforms were also necessary, Surya said, asking why there could not be a "more foolproof system of voting" based on electronic methods which will "enhance the voting percentage". 

There was a proposal that Indians living abroad should be able to vote, he said. 

Congress will oppose this because it knows that prime minister Modi is popular among non-resident Indians too, the BJP leader said. 

"Imagine if they are also given voting rights, what will be the margin of our victories," Surya said, adding that "revisiting the wrong interpretation of our Constitution" was also needed. 

"A lot of civilisational issues need to be addressed," the BJP youth wing chief said, urging filmmakers to indigenize film-making and highlight "local heroes" such as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Rana Pratap. 

"Please tell the stories which are integrated with the culture of this land. How many more movies will you do about Jodha-Akbar?...Why can''t we make a Rs 100 crore movie on Birsa Munda?" he asked. 

"A deeply ingrained colonial consciousness" is troubling all our film-makers, Surya claimed. 

"While we see 100 movies showcasing love in the Taj Mahal, why can''t we celebrate the architecture of Bhadreshwara temple or the great temples of Hampi in Karnataka," he asked. 

He also slammed Rahul Gandhi about his recent comments where the Congress leader accused the RSS and BJP of not giving women their due. 

Modi was the first prime minister to stress the importance of sanitation and "started a movement" of building toilets so that women can attend nature''s call with dignity, Surya said, also mentioning schemes such as Ujala, Ujjwala, priority for women in the Mudra scheme and in house registration under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojna. 

"These are the important steps the PM has taken to ensure that women are respected, empowered....Our PM feels that the real way to empower is to give highest representation to women in the Union cabinet," Surya added.