Proposed Universal Civil Code is politically motivated, says Muslim personal law board

During a press conference here in Kolkata on Sunday, AIMPLB's secretary Zafaryab Jeelini said that the BJP-led-NDA-government's move to impose Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which has been overtaken months before Uttar Pradesh (UP) Legislative Assembly election, was politically motivated.

"Clearly, the move is politically motivated and a government in a secular country can not interfere in personal laws," Jeelini said.

"I agree that there are misuses of triple talaq system, we are condemning of it," he added.

The AIMPLB has also formulated Women's Wing, under the convenership of Asma Zahra, to drum up support for their fight against the UCC move.

The Women's Wing has been formed to increase awareness on women's social reforms, according to AIMPLB members.

"The UCC move is completely baseless and those women activists, who filed the suo-motto writ petition before the Supreme Court, were used by the government. The move is an attack on the image of Muslim society," Women's Wing's convener Asma Zahra said.

"Poverty, lack of education etc. are the problems of the nation, not triple talaq. Our marriage and divorce systems are already simple," Zahra said.

Apart from these, the AIMPLB has started a signature campaign against the imposition of UCC and a large number of people have already signed the petition, the Muslims' personal law making body claimed.

"We are ready to prove that Muslim women have rights in our society and they are in better state than women of several other communities," Asma Zahra said.

Meanwhile, in the personal law board meeting, where over 75 women delegates and 50 women members participated, a new executive committee for next three years was constituted.

"We have decided to launch an All India Muslim Women Helpline, a toll free call centre in Urdu, English and eight other regional languages to counsel and guide Muslim women having family disputes to go to the Darul-Qaza (Islamic courts)," AIMPLB's executive committee member Kamal Farooqui said.

Besides triple talaq, AIMPLB members slammed the Centre over demonetisation issue here.

"Modi government is not only against secularism, it's now against country's general people, after taking decision of demonetisation," Kamal Farooqui said.

Followed by the press meet, delegates addressed a mega rally here in city's Park Circus Maidan, where lakh of people from Muslim community were present.

Due to the huge gathering, traffic at nearby Park Circus Seven Point Crossing, Darga Road and Suhrawardy Avenue were disrupted for hours.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha, Images by IBNS)