TCN News
New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has strongly responded to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Independence Day call for a uniform civil code, asserting that such a move would be unacceptable to Muslims as it conflicts with Sharia law. Criticising him for describing religious personal laws as communal, the board labeled the stance as highly objectionable.
PM Modi, during his Independence Day address, remarked, “A significant portion of society believes that the current civil code is essentially a communal one. It fosters discrimination, divides the country along religious lines and perpetuates inequality.”
AIMPLB’s spokesperson Dr. Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas expressed disbelief at the prime minister’s characterisation of religious personal laws, such as Sharia, as communal. He emphasised that Muslims in India are entitled to follow their religious laws, a right enshrined in the Shariat Application Act of 1937 and Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the fundamental right to practice and propagate one’s religion.
He pointed out that family laws in other communities are also rooted in their respective religious and cultural traditions and that separating religious laws is seen as an unwelcome imitation of Western practices. He criticized the Prime Minister’s use of the term “secular civil code” instead of the constitutionally recognized “uniform civil code”, accusing Modi of misleading the public by focusing solely on Sharia law and neglecting the broader implications on class, caste and tribe.
The AIMPLB urged citizens to reflect on the sacrifices of freedom fighters and the vision of a fair and peaceful India, rather than succumbing to the “religious divisiveness stirred by the prime minister’s remarks”.
The board’s press release concluded with a call for unity and a reminder of the values that underpin the nation’s constitutional framework.