A day after the Uttarakhand Civil Code 2024 bill was passed in the State assembly, the Uttarakhand Waqf Board refuted reports that the bill was anti-Islamic and asserted that there was no issue with abiding by the UCC since it does not tamper with the Islamic faith.
Speaking to the media over the Uttarakhand Civil Code bill, Uttarakhand Waqf Board Chairman Shadab Shams said, “I believe the nation will accept this bill hands-on. With the kind of rumours being spread among the Muslim community that this bill is anti-Islamic, I can say that the bill has no line that tampers with the Islamic faith.”
“With utmost honesty and being a strong Muslim myself, I can say that under the light of the Quran, there is no problem with abiding by the UCC. Those who are opposed are not true Muslims. They are political Muslims who somewhere relate to the Congress or the Samajwadi Party. I am again saying this with full responsibility, that this bill does not violate Islam, and Muslims can follow UCC,” said Shadab Shams.
The Uttarakhand Civil Code Bill was passed with a comfortable majority during a special session of the Uttarakhand assembly on February 7. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the passage of the Uttarakhand Civil Code bill in the Legislative Assembly marked a “historic day in the history of Uttarakhand. He emphasised that the legislation benefits every section of society, asserting that a Government promise to the people has been fulfilled.
The Uttarakhand Civil Code, which proposes similar or uniform laws for all communities, was tabled on February 6 during the special session by the Chief Minister.
Once the proposed UCC Bill is in place, “live-in relationships” will have to get registered under the law within one month from the “date of entering into the relationship.”
To live in a live-in relationship, adults will have to obtain consent from their parents. The bill also imposes a complete ban on child marriage and introduces a uniform process for divorce.
The Code provides equal rights to women of all religions in their ancestral property. The CM added that the Uttarakhand Civil Code Bill can be amended in the future if there is a need to include specific clauses.
As per the UCC Bill, the age for marriage in all communities will be 18 for women and 21 for men. Marriage registration is mandatory in all religions, and marriages without registration will be invalid. No divorce petition will be allowed to be filed after one year of marriage.
(with inputs from ANI)
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