 "Asaduddin Owaisi")
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Wednesday said the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill is nothing but a 'Hindu code' applicable to all communities.
He claimed exemptions are being given to the Hindus and tribals in the Bill and that it forces the Muslims to follow a different religion and culture, which is a violation of the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
"The Uttarakhand UCC Bill is nothing but a Hindu code applicable to all. Firstly, the Hindu undivided family has not been touched. Why? If you want a uniform law for succession and inheritance, why are Hindus kept out of it? Can a law be uniform if it doesn't apply to the majority of your state?" he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He further said there had been chatter about bigamy, halal, and live-in relationship rules in the UCC, but no one is talking about the fact that the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) has been excluded.
The AIMIM chief said it can't be called uniform if the tribals are excluded from the code. "There are other constitutional and legal issues. Why have tribals been excluded? Can it be uniform if one community is exempt," he said.
READ: Uttarakhand's UCC Bill: Live-in couples must register or face jail term
READ: Uttarakhand's UCC Bill: Live-in couples must register or face jail term
He added the code forces the Muslims to follow the culture of other religions.
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"Next, there is the question of fundamental rights. I have a right to practice my religion and culture, this Bill forces me to follow a different religion and culture. In our religion, inheritance and marriage are part of religious practice, it is a violation of Articles 25 & 29 to force us to follow a different system," he said.
Owaisi further said the bill can only be enacted by the Parliament as it contradicts the Shariah Act, Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act (SMA), and Indian Succession Act (ISA).
"A voluntary UCC already exists in the form of SMA, ISA, Juvenile Justice Act [JJA], Domestic Violence Act [DVA], etc. Why make it mandatory when Ambedkar himself didn't call it mandatory?" he asked.
Owaisi also slammed Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for tabling the Bill.
"No one is asking why this was needed. According to the CM, his state faced losses of Rs 1,000 crore due to floods. 17,000 hectares of agricultural land was submerged and crop losses were estimated to be over Rs 2 crore. Uttarakhand's finances are in the doldrums, so Dhami feels the need to table this," he added.
