UCC can jeopardise principles of religious diversity and minority rights, says Jamiat chief

Jamiat Uleme-e-Hind chief Maulana Mahmood Madani has claimed that implementation of the Uniform Civil Code could jeopardise the principles of religious diversity, minority rights and justice.

The organisation held a conclave on Monday evening to deliberate on UCC which saw the presence of several MPs, including Karti Chidambaram, Muhammad Javed and Imran Pratapgarhi from the Congress, Hasnain Masoodi from the National Conference, Mehboob Ali Qaiser from the LJP, Kunwar Danish Ali from the BSP, ET Muhammad Bashir and Abdussamad Samadani from the IUML. “The meeting focused on addressing concerns related to UCC, particularly its potential impact on the cultural and religious rights of the Muslim minority and tribal communities,” the Jamiat said in a statement.

In his opening address, Mahmood Madani emphasised that the implementation of UCC might jeopardise the principles of religious diversity, minority rights, equality and justice.

He stressed the importance of preserving Indias rich cultural and religious diversity while safeguarding the religious rights and interests of the Muslim community.

During the meeting, Advocate M R Shamshad made a comprehensive analysis on the “possible pitfalls of the Uniform Civil Code” and highlighted the potential “adverse effects on Muslim women”, the Jamiat said.

Uniform Civil Code refers to a common set of laws that are applicable to all citizens of India that is not based on religion and deals with marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption among other matters.

The 22nd Law Commission had on June 14 initiated a fresh consultation process on UCC by seeking views from stakeholders, including public and recognised religious organisations, on the politically sensitive issue.

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