Owaisi claims Maharashtra UCC is an attempt to impose Hindu Civil Code
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi accused the Devendra Fadnavis government of targeting Muslims through the proposed Uniform Civil Code.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi claimed on Tuesday that the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in Maharashtra is an effort to impose a Hindu Civil Code on non-Hindu communities. Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP said the state government's move is intended to target Muslims and strip them of their religious identity, according to reports by The News Mill and Mathrubhumi.
Owaisi criticised a questionnaire issued by the Maharashtra government to gather public opinion on the UCC. He alleged the document shows the administration has already decided to implement the code. He noted that while the questionnaire asks about polygamy and extra-judicial divorce, it contains no questions regarding the Hindu Undivided Family (HUF).
The AIMIM leader stated that the proposal seeks to apply laws such as the Hindu Marriage Act and the Hindu Succession Act to non-Hindus. He also mentioned that retired Bombay High Court judge RC Chavan resigned from the oversight committee because no representative from a minority community was included.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the decision to draft a UCC, stating that the Constitution directs states to work towards its implementation. He said the code is rooted in the Directive Principles of State Policy and alleged that the Opposition is attempting to organise street protests.