The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has reaffirmed its opposition to uniform civil code, maintaining that the move to bring it was against secularism and diversity of the country.
The AIMPLB held marathon emergency meetings on Tuesday night and Wednesday in which it decided to submit a Shariat compliant against the draft of uniform civil code (UCC) to the Law Commission.
Maintaining that as per Islamic law, marriage was a contract in Islam, not a sacrament as per ancient Indian traditions, the AIMPLB said Hindu marriage law and traditions could not be imposed on Muslims. The AIMPLB said it had already submitted before the Law Commission in 2018 that it was against the UCC.
The emergency meeting of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board was called after Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, during an address in Bhopal, made a strong pitch supporting uniform civil code. The meeting was presided over by the newly-elected president of the AIMPLB, Saifullah Rahmani, Maulana Arshad Madani and Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali.
Addressing the Bharatiya Janata Party workers in Bhopal after the launch of the Vande Bharat trains, Prime Minister Modi said, “Today people are being instigated in the name of UCC. How can the country run on two laws? The Constitution also talks of equal rights... the Supreme Court has also asked to implement UCC. The opposition people are playing vote bank politics.”
Raking the issue of triple talaq, he added that those who were supporting triple talaq were doing grave injustice to Muslim sisters and daughters.
Reacting strongly to the remarks, the AIMPLB members hit out at the prime minister for targeting Muslims and the community by implementing UCC.
Kamal Farooqui, the executive member of the AIMPLB, said that a concept like UCC was not feasible in India due to the variety and diversity in the country.
“The prime minister should read the report of the Law Commission which says justice and equity are more important than inequality. Equity and justice are more important. UCC is not just for the change in marriage laws, it is also about the property and inheritance laws. Now we are going to submit our suggestions about the UCC in the coming 15 days. The prime minister could have waited for at least 15 days before making such statements. Where is the concept of ‘One family, One Law’ practised in the entire world?” said Jamiat Ulema-E-Hind secretary Niyaz Farooqui.
“We have submitted our response to the Law Commission and the commission itself is of the view that it is not feasible to implement the UCC. In India, it is not practical as it is a diverse nation and under the Constitution, everybody is guaranteed fundamental rights. Implementing the uniform civil code is trying to change the structure of the Constitution,” Farooqui added.