Muslim Personal Law Board opposes Modi’s Uniform Civil Code push

In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s recent push for a nationwide Uniform Civil Code (UCC), the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) held an emergency meeting and resolved to contest the proposed law.

The Uniform Civil Code, as advocated by the Prime Minister, intends to form a universal set of personal laws for all Indian citizens, supplanting religion-based personal laws pertaining to inheritance, adoption, and succession.

The AIMPLB, during its virtual meeting, resolved to prepare a draft incorporating essential components of Shariah to be presented to the Law Commission. They plan to request an appointment with the chairman of the Law Commission to submit this draft, as per the body’s statement. The meeting saw the participation of members like AIMPLB president Saifullah Rehmani and Maulana Khalid Rasheed Farangi Mahali, chairman of the Islamic Centre of India.

AIMPLB fights back against PM Modi’s one law for all. Photo courtesy of Prime Minister’s Office/Wikimedia Commons.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his speech in Bhopal, promoted the Uniform Civil Code, referencing the Constitution’s mandate for equal rights for all citizens. His stance aligns with the BJP-led Central government’s recent affidavit in the Supreme Court, which criticized the existence of different property and matrimonial laws for citizens of different religions and denominations as undermining the nation’s unity.

The AIMPLB’s opposition to the Uniform Civil Code and the planned submission of a Shariah-based draft to the Law Commission highlight the ongoing tension and complex dialogue surrounding personal law reform in India.