NEW DELHI/ LUCKNOW: The government said on Friday it is committed to ending religious discrimination against women, criticising an influential Muslim body for “politicising” the demand for uniform laws for marriage, divorce, property and inheritance in India.
Union information and broadcasting minister Venkaiah Naidu said a uniform civil code will be arrived at through a process of consensus, not haste, and urged everyone to keep politics out of the process. “We have three basic issues: Gender justice, ending discrimination and upholding the dignity of women,” he said.
The comments came a day after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board attacked the BJP-led central government for triggering an “internal war” by trying to do away with Islamic personal laws.
The board said it will boycott a questionnaire circulated by the law commission that asked for comments on a uniform civil code and doing away with the Muslim practice of triple talaq, under which a man divorces his wife by saying the Urdu word for divorce three times.
But Naidu said the government — which has already opposed triple talaq in SC — will not back down and the process of consultation for UCC will go ahead. “The mood of the country is that triple talaq should end. People don’t want discrimination against women,” he said, adding, “If you have a point of view, put it forward and enter a debate. Why drag in the PM’s name?” He also asked people not to confuse triple talaq and UCC, saying these were separate issues.
{{/usCountry}}But Naidu said the government — which has already opposed triple talaq in SC — will not back down and the process of consultation for UCC will go ahead. “The mood of the country is that triple talaq should end. People don’t want discrimination against women,” he said, adding, “If you have a point of view, put it forward and enter a debate. Why drag in the PM’s name?” He also asked people not to confuse triple talaq and UCC, saying these were separate issues.
{{/usCountry}}India has separate sets of personal laws for each religion and demand for overhauling these codes date back decades. Critics say triple talaq, by allowing summary divorce, discriminates against women. But successive governments have backed away from any sweeping change for fear of upsetting crucial vote banks.
Meanwhile, reacting to the debate, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Friday said the issue should be left to religious leaders. “I will not say much on this issue but there should not be a dispute on it. The issue of uniform civil code should be left to religious leaders. On the issues of country and humanity, everyone should be united,” Yadav said.