New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI): The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Thursday said Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statement on Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has raised fresh concerns over India’s religious diversity, and asserted that any policy that adversely affects this diversity raises serious constitutional questions.
The Board made the assertion at a press conference here and also claimed that the Delhi Police refused to grant permission at the last minute for its proposed protest dharna at Jantar Mantar.
Peaceful protest and freedom of expression are fundamental constitutional rights of citizens and should not be curtailed through administrative decisions, the AIMPLB said in a statement. AIMPLB spokesperson Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, who is also the convener of the ‘Save the Constitution, Save the Nation’ Campaign of the Board, visited Parliament Street Police Station three times during the past 10 days and assured the SHO and the DCP that the number of participants in the dharna would remain within the prescribed limit, the statement said.
Despite these assurances, permission for the dharna was withdrawn just one day before the scheduled programme on the grounds that the police apprehended the participation of a large number of people, it said.
The Board termed the decision “unilateral and inappropriate”, pointing out that it has previously organised several peaceful demonstrations at Jantar Mantar while complying with all prescribed rules and conditions.
The Board clarified that the proposed dharna was the first phase of its nationwide ‘Save the Constitution, Save the Nation’ campaign that seeks to draw public attention to issues including violations of the fundamental rights of deprived and marginalised sections of society and minorities, particularly Muslims.
The campaign is against incidents of mob lynching; attacks on life, property, dignity and honour; bulldozer actions against mosques, madrassas and Muslim localities; and restrictions on religious and cultural freedoms. It also aims at the protection of Muslim Personal Law and opposes attempts to introduce a UCC as well as efforts to make Vande Mataram mandatory.
“The statement by the Union Home Minister regarding the implementation of a Uniform Civil Code in all BJP-ruled states by 2029 has raised fresh concerns regarding India’s religious and cultural diversity and the fundamental rights of citizens,” the Board said.
Muslims consider the protection of Muslim Personal Law to be part of their religious and constitutional rights, the statement said.
India is a country of diverse religions, cultures and languages, and the Constitution provides protection to this diversity, it said.
Any policy that adversely affects this diversity, the Board stated, raises serious constitutional questions.
The Board’s assertion came after Shah said the BJP-led NDA governments in 21 states will introduce UCC before 2029.
Shah made the remarks in Mumbai on Sunday while highlighting the achievements of the Centre over the last 12 years and the BJP’s 25-year journey under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.
“Triple talaq has been abolished, giving Muslim women equal rights. We have introduced the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in several states and I am confident that in the 21 BJP-NDA-ruled states, we will introduce the UCC before 2029,” Shah said.
The next Lok Sabha polls are scheduled for 2029.
The Board also objected to attempts to make all six stanzas of Vande Mataram mandatory, stating that making the complete rendition of a particular song compulsory as a means of expressing patriotism raises important questions concerning religious freedom and civil liberties.
Referring to the prevailing economic and social situation in the country, the Board said that issues such as poverty, inflation, unemployment, farmers’ concerns and crimes against women require urgent attention.
At such a time, diverting public attention from these fundamental issues towards religious and communal matters is not in the national interest, the Board said.
The Board said that the objective of the ‘Save the Constitution, Save the Nation’ Campaign is to create awareness among citizens about their constitutional rights, safeguard democratic and secular values, and strengthen an environment of justice, liberty, equality, human dignity and fraternity in the country.
The Board made it clear that despite the denial of permission for the dharna at Jantar Mantar, the nationwide campaign will continue according to its planned programme.
The presser was addressed by AIMPLB vice president Maulana Ubaidullah Khan Azmi, Jamaat-e-Islami Hind chief Syed Saadatullah Husaini, head of Jamiat Ahle Hadees Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salafi, AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Mohammed Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi and Ilyas among others.
