AAP Extends “In Principle” Support to UCC, Muslim Personal Law Board to Submit its Views to Law Commission

Manas Dasgupta

NEW DELHI, June 28: Within hours of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi reopened the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) issue on Tuesday, the India’s top Muslim body, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, held an emergency meeting late in the night to discuss the issue.

The meeting was held virtually and lasted for about three hours. They discussed the legal aspects of the UCC in the context of Modi’s remarks which are seen to prioritise an agenda that had always been part of the BJP manifesto but at times downplayed.

The Muslim body has decided to submit its views to the Law Commission, taking into account the points made by lawyers and experts. The issue became a point of discussion after Law Commission launched a fresh consultation process on the UCC about a fortnight ago seeking views from various stakeholders amid reports that the government plans to bring a draft bill soon.

While the conclusions of the meeting was not disclosed, a key Muslim Law Board member said the Prime Minister has singled out Muslims in his speech over the Uniform Civil Code. “He has targeted Muslims in his speech. This is misleading. The law is a national concern. All sections of societies need reforms,” he said. “Equity is more important than equality. We must ensure that women don’t lose their rights amid the uniformity push,” the member added.

Another Board member Maulana Arshad Madni, chief of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, said the government “has made its intentions clear” and urged Muslims not to hit the roads in protests over the issue.

Modi while addressing the BJP workers in Bhopal on Tuesday said two laws in the same country would not work, asserting that the Constitution mentioned equal rights for all citizens and even Supreme Court rulings had called for uniform laws. Muslims, he said, were being instigated by parties prone to vote-bank politics, adding that the BJP had decided it would not adopt the path of appeasement.

Modi’s comments on Tuesday revived focus on the long-debated subject and gave an indication that the BJP could make it an issue in the crucial state Assembly elections later this year and the Parliamentary elections next year. The Uniform Civil Code refers to a set of overarching laws that apply to everyone in the country and replaces religion-based personal laws, rules of inheritance, adoption and succession. Article 44 of the Constitution calls upon the State to aim for a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India.

In September last year, a private member’s Bill that seeks to provide for a panel to prepare a Uniform Civil Code was introduced in Rajya Sabha in the face of great resistance from opposition parties. In the past, although similar bills were listed for introduction, they were not moved in the Upper House.

Modi’s comments sparked strong reactions from the opposition parties who accused the BJP of trying to crush the country’s pluralism and diversity and diverting focus from pressing worries like poverty, unemployment and price rise.

Meanwhile, the Aam Aadmi Party, which is attempting to distance itself from the opposition unity move against the BJP during the coming Lok Sabha elections, said the party “in principle” support the Uniform Civil Code, but added that any move in this direction must follow wide-ranging consultations with all stakeholders.

Sandeep Pathak, AAP’s national general secretary (organisation) and a Rajya Sabha MP, said, “In principle, we support a Uniform Civil Code. The Constitution’s Article 44 also supports it. But since this issue concerns all religious communities, there should be wide-ranging consultations and efforts to build consensus.”