AIMPLB sends objections to Law Commission on UCC

The working committee of the Board had approved the draft response prepared on UCC in the executive meeting on June 27 and on Wednesday it was presented for discussion in the virtual general meeting of the Board, the spokesman of the Board Kasim Rasool Ilyas said.

Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh): The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Wednesday said it has sent its objections on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) to the Law Commission and demanded that not just tribals but every religious minority should be kept out of the purview of such a statute.

The working committee of the Board had approved the draft response prepared on UCC in the executive meeting on June 27 and on Wednesday it was presented for discussion in the virtual general meeting of the Board, the spokesman of the Board Kasim Rasool Ilyas said. This report was unanimously approved, after which it has been sent to the Law Commission, he said.

The Law Commission had given time till July 14 to various parties and stakeholders to file their objections to the UCC. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had earlier requested to extend the time by six months. Ilyas said that around 250 out of 251 members of the Board attended the meeting in which they were asked to present their views against the UCC personally before the Law Commission and encourage their relatives, friends and others to do the same.

The AIMPLB is of the view that not only tribals but every religious minority should also be kept out of the purview of UCC, he said. The chairman of the parliamentary committee on law and BJP MP Sushil Modi had on Monday advocated keeping tribals, including those in the North East, out of the purview of any likely Uniform Civil Code (UCC) at a meeting of the panel, according to sources.

Ilyas said, "The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has always been against the UCC. It is of the view that imposing only one law in the name of UCC in a country like India, which consists of people belonging to multi religions and cultures, is a violation of democratic rights." The AIMPLB is a prominent Muslim non-governmental organisation formed in 1973 with the objective of protecting and promoting the application of Islamic personal law among Muslims in India.

The Law Commission has initiated the fresh consultation process on the Uniform Civil Code by seeking views from stakeholders, including public and recognised religious organisations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently made a strong pitch for bringing UCC and alleged that the Opposition is using the issue to mislead and provoke the Muslim community.