New Delhi: Reacting to the latest legal developments surrounding the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind President Maulana Arshad Madani stated that no state government has the authority to enforce the UCC. He described the move as a “deliberate attempt to undermine the supremacy of the Constitution” and affirmed that his organisation has approached the courts with the hope of securing justice.
Maulana Madani reiterated that Muslims could never accept any legislation conflicting with Shariah. “We may compromise on many things, but not on our faith and Shariat. The UCC is an attempt to snatch away constitutional rights granted to us. Our laws are derived from the Qur’an and Hadith, not man-made texts,” he said. He further argued that since an optional civil code already exists for those unwilling to follow personal laws, a mandatory UCC is unnecessary.
He expressed concern that the law reflects bias, as certain tribal groups have been exempted, while Muslims’ social and religious identity is being deliberately targeted. He maintained that the legislation violates not only minority safeguards but also fundamental rights enshrined in Articles 14, 19, 21 and 25 of the Constitution.
Meanwhile, the Uttarakhand High Court has adjourned hearings on petitions filed by Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind and others to September 23. The court directed the Centre to respond to the petitions before the next hearing. Senior lawyers, including Kapil Sibal, argued that under the constitutional scheme, state governments have no jurisdiction to legislate on UCC.
