Muslim law board terms attempt to introduce Uniform Civil Code as unconstitutional, anti-minorities move

Lucknow: Reiterating its earlier stand, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has termed the idea of a -Uniform Civil Code (UCC) as unconstitutional and against the minorities. It further added that UCC was unacceptable to Muslims.

In the press note, AIMPLB's General Secretary Hazrat Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said that the Constitution of India has allowed the citizens to live according to their religion as a part of fundamental rights.

"Under the same right, separate personnel laws have been granted for minorities and tribal classes according to their customs, beliefs, and traditions, which does not interfere with the constitution in any way," he said.

Rahmani added that the talk of adoption of the Uniform Civil Code by the Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh governments or the Central government is just rhetoric and the matter has been brought up in order to divert attention from real issues such as rising inflation, falling economy, and growing unemployment.

"The Uniform Civil Code issue has been brought up to divert attention from real issues and promote an agenda of hatred and discrimination. This anti-constitutional move is not acceptable to Muslims at all. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board strongly condemns this and urges the government to refrain from such actions," he said.

The AIMPLB's statement comes a day after Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur lauded the UCC as a good concept and said his government is open to implementing it.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has also said a high-level committee will soon be set up to draft the UCC and communal peace in the state will not be allowed to be disrupted at any cost.

In November 2021, the Allahabad High Court said the UCC is mandatory. This was stated by a single-judge bench of Justice Suneet Kumar, who was hearing a batch of 17 petitions, pertaining to protection sought by inter-faith couples.