Guwahati: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday strongly criticised the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill tabled by the Assam government in the Assembly, alleging that the legislation was discriminatory and amounted to a “backdoor imposition of Hindu law on Muslims”.
Reacting to the development through a post on X, Owaisi claimed that the proposed law was not truly “uniform”, as tribal communities had been kept outside its ambit while Muslims and other groups would be required to comply with its provisions.
“The Assam Uniform Civil Code is not uniform at all. It completely exempts tribal communities from UCC’s coverage. Every community has the right to protect its culture under Article 29, but why is only the tribals’ autonomy being protected?” he said.
The AIMIM leader further alleged that the law was being imposed despite lacking public support and argued that the framers of the Constitution had never intended to introduce a mandatory UCC.
“The Constituent Assembly did not envision a mandatory UCC,” Owaisi stated.
Raising concerns over inheritance provisions, the Hyderabad MP said the proposed law went against Islamic principles governing succession and property rights.
“In Islam, no one can exclude an heir from inheritance. No one can write a will to give their whole property to one son or deny their daughter inheritance. This UCC allows anyone to write a will and deny their daughters their fair share. This is far from a gender-just law,” he said.
Owaisi alleged that the proposed code sought to impose Hindu legal principles relating to succession, inheritance, and divorce on Muslims while selectively protecting the cultural rights of other communities.
“This is a backdoor imposition of Hindu law on Muslims. In matters of succession, inheritance, and divorce, Hindu principles are being imposed. Only Hindu culture is being protected, while Muslims have to comply with these so-called ‘uniform’ rules,” he said.
The Assam government on Monday tabled the UCC Bill in the Assembly, triggering sharp political reactions from opposition parties and minority organisations.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government has maintained that the proposed legislation aims to ensure equality and legal uniformity across communities in the state.
(IANS)
