Akhilesh Yadav assures SP’s support against Civil Code in Parliament to Muslim Personal Board

Lucknow: Seeking support against the BJP-led government's proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, a delegation from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) met Samajwadi Party (SP) national president Akhilesh Yadav.

The delegation's demand, that the UCC Bill, which is expected to be presented in the Parliament during the next Lok Sabha sessions, be opposed, has been warmly accepted by Akhilesh Yadav, who reportedly assured his party's support for religious freedom for all as guaranteed by the Constitution.

He stated that the party is against imposing any law that goes against the wishes of the people it is intended for.

Acknowledging the memorandum, Akhilesh Yadav assured the delegation of his support on all platforms. He criticized the BJP government, both at the national and state level, for using religion and religious matters as tools for political gains.

“BJP uses religious beliefs and public trust to its convenience. SP, since its inception, has been and will continue to be committed to upholding democratic values and secularism,” Akhilesh said.

The memorandum primarily highlighted five important points including the AIMPLB’s decision to effectively oppose any attempts to do away with the fundamental rights that provide freedom of religion and culture.

The memorandum strongly condemned the intentions with which the BJP government at the Union keeps raising the issue of UCC from time to time which is aimed at curbing the fundamental rights of minorities and tribals. “Implementing UCC without the consent of any section of the society is a direct attempt to do away with the very identity of the particular community,” the memorandum said.

It also condemned attempts of certain sections to forcibly occupy and stake claim over religious places of another community and said such attempts will be opposed collectively. The memorandum further demanded that the government must ensure that all waqf land is freed from encroachment and returned to the community it belongs to.

“We are trying to make sure that all religious and social outfits join hands to come together and help in the development of the country and live unitedly. We all are making efforts to put an end to injustice and atrocities in the country and ensure peace, security and justice for all,” the memorandum said.

The delegation comprised Maulana Khalid Rashid Farangi Mahali, Maulana Atiq Ahmed Bastvi, Prof Mohammed Suleman and Amina Rizwan – all members of the AIMPLB’s executive committee apart from a host of clerics of Lucknow and known members of the community.

With inputs from IANS