The AIMIM chief's letter urged the Law Commission to not allow itself to be made a tool for political propaganda simply on account of the approaching elections and to drop this exercise altogether.
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is meant to erase the identities of Muslims from the nation, All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi has said.
In a letter sent to the Law Commission on Friday, Owaisi squarely rejected the need for UCC. “Everyone says that Muslims will learn a lesson through UCC. But this common law is not good for the entire country,” media reports said on Saturday.
Owaisi’s letter urged the Law Commission to not allow itself to be made a tool for political propaganda simply on account of the approaching elections and to drop this exercise altogether. However, he said, if the Law Commission “wishes to proceed with this exercise it must do so with seriousness and in a meaningful way, by explaining what it means by UCC and placing a concrete proposal for public comment giving adequate time to all stakeholders to respond.”
Owaisi reiterated that any attempt at creating a mandatory UCC today, would go against Articles 19, 25, and 29 of the Constitution “and undermine the intent and purpose of our founders behind Article 44 itself.”
The letter said: “In recognition of the layered, complex, and diverse societies that exist in India – the Constitution promised each community that it would be able to retain its religious practices, its cultural distinction and choose how it expresses itself and engages with the world. To deny these rights to the diverse peoples of this country is to betray a constitutional promise.”
Hindus, the Owaisi letter said, will also suffer if the UCC is implemented. “Hindus will be at a loss. They will also suffer,” the letter said.
It will be pertinent to note here that several Sikh bodies have also criticised and rejected the UCC.
