The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on uniform civil code, seeking release of the draft of the UCC and initiation of positive dialogue with all religious groups. 

The AIMPLB said, “The duty of the government is to resolve disputes not to create fresh religious issues of dispute.”

Seeking protection of Muslim personal laws on marriage, divorce and succession, the AIMPLB appealed to the prime minister to not implement the uniform civil code. It said “there is need for serious debate and dialogue on this issue”.

The AIMPLB, earlier this week, had termed the uniform civil code (UCC) as "unconstitutional and anti-minority move". It said the matter had been brought up to divert attention from real issues and added that the move was not acceptable to Muslims.

AIMPLB general secretary Dr Moin Ahmed Khan said, “The Board wants the government to initiate positive dialogue with different religious groups in the country and release the draft of the UCC.”

He said the present debate in the media without the draft of the uniform civil code bill had no constitutional sanctity.

“There are so many ifs and buts on uniform civil code. No religious group will accept the new legislation of uniform civil code unless the matter is discussed threadbare with their representatives. There is no clarity whether after uniform civil code comes into force how the Muslims will conduct matters like marriage, divorce, and the share of women in property. Whether it will be under Muslim personal law or under some different law,” Dr Khan said.

The AIMPLB leader reminded the prime minister that every denomination had the constitutional right to conduct its personal affairs like marriage as per respective religious customs and personal laws.

Specifically referring to the Muslim community, the AIMPLB leader said, “Muslims and some other religions had the right to conduct their social affairs as per their personal laws before independence along with legal protection under Muslim Application Act, 1937.”

He said after the independence, during the debate in the constituent assembly, Dr BR Ambedkar had said the issue of uniform civil code should be left to the respective communities and should not be implemented till consensus was reached.