Following the Prime Minister’s demand for a Uniform Civil Code, the Muslim Law Board held a late-night emergency meeting.
Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s support for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) while speaking to BJP workers in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh, opposition parties attacked him, calling his words an attack on “India’s pluralism and diversity”.
The All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), India’s leading Muslim organization, held an emergency meeting Friday night after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a push for the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) when speaking to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members in Bhopal.
Saifullah Rehmani, the president of the AIMPLB, Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, the head of the Islamic Centre of India and a member of the AIMPLB, and other members agreed to strongly express their opinions to the Law Commission at a virtual meeting.
The meeting’s participants resolved to reject the UCC and explored its legal implications. The board’s members decided that the Muslim law board should provide the papers and UCC to the Law Commission to argue its position.
Politicians have been bringing up the Uniform Civil Code shortly before elections for a number of years. The topic has once again come up ahead of the 2024 elections, according to Mahali, speaking to Hindustan Times.
He said that in addition to Muslims, other religions like Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Christians, Parsis, Jews, and other insignificant minorities and tribal groups will also be impacted by UCC.
“Every 100 km, the language of India changes. So how is it possible to have one set of rules that applies to all communities? Every group practice prayer, rituals, and rites like marriage in a unique way. The Constitution guarantees everyone the right to practice their own religion and way of life, Mahali continued.
Opposition parties questioned his quiet on the Manipur problem, claiming that instead of tackling the state’s violence, price increases, and unemployment, he was arguing for the adoption of the UCC.
P Chidambaram, a prominent member of Congress, criticized PM Modi for his comments on the Uniform Civil Code and stated that comparing a family to a nation is inappropriate and that it cannot be pushed upon anybody.
On the other hand, Congress national secretary KC Venugopal claimed that PM Modi was “distracting people from other issues” with his remarks regarding the Uniform Civil Code.
“He (the Prime Minister) must start by discussing the lack of employment, rising prices, and poverty in the nation”. He never discusses the problems in Manipur, even though the state is on fire. According to Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, he is only diverting attention away from all these problems.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), a supporter of Congress, passionately disagreed with the prime minister’s call for a common civil code and suggested that it be imposed first on Hindus.
“The Hindu faith should, first and foremost, adopt a unified civil code”. Performing pooja at any temple across the nation should be permitted for everyone, including members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Because the Constitution protects all religions, we do not want a unified civil code, according to TKS Elangovan of the DMK.
Asaduddin Owaisi, the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader, described it as an assault on the nation’s plurality and pluralism.
“The Prime Minister of India sees pluralism and diversity as an issue.” So he says something like these lines…Will you forego your country’s richness and variety as a substitute for a UCC? When he mentions UCC, he is referring to the Hindu Civil Code…Can he eliminate the Hindu Undivided Family, I ask? “Go explain to the Sikhs in the province of Punjab regarding UCC and watch how they react,” Owaisi stated.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Tuesday that the BJP has resolved not to follow the appeasement and vote bank politics route, adding that the appeasement approach pursued by some is “disastrous” for the country.