AIMPLB warns Centre over Uniform Civil Code; 'Unconstitutional, Anti-Minorities step'

In a major development, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has termed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) "unconstitutional and anti-minority move." The AIMPLB said that the matter has been brought up in order to divert attention from real issues and added that the move is not acceptable to Muslims. 

AIMPLB warns Centre over UCC

In a statement released by Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, General Secretary of AIMPLB, the organisation said that the Constitution has allowed every citizen of the country to live according to his religion. "The talk of adoption of Uniform Civil Code by the Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh governments or the central government is just rhetoric and everyone knows that their purpose is to divert attention from issues such as rising inflation, falling economy, and growing unemployment," Rahmani said.

"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 added.

His remark 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 CM Pushkar Singh Dhami has said a high-level committee will soon be set up to draft a UCC and communal amity in the state will not be allowed to be disrupted at any cost.

Uniform Civil Code in India

On 18 November 2021, the Allahabad High Court stated that 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 interfaith couples. In one of these pleas, one of the parties said that they converted to the religion of his/her partner and thus apprehended a threat to their life, liberty, and wellbeing.

While allowing the pleas, Justice Kumar observed that UCC cannot be made "purely voluntary" owing to fear expressed by members of the minority community. Referring to a Supreme Court verdict, he asked the Centre to constitute a committee for implementing Article 44 of the Constitution. A part of the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution, Article 44 reads, "The State shall endeavour to secure for the citizens a uniform civil code throughout the territory of India".