The Uttarakhand High Court will hear a PIL on Wednesday challenging the Uniform Civil Code implemented in the state recently. A division bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Ashish Naithani will hear the matter.
The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed by a Bhimtal resident and former student leader Suresh Singh Negi challenging various provisions of UCC, especially the ones made for live-in relationships, reported PTI.
The PIL also alleges that the UCC disregarded Muslim, Parsi and other ways of marriage.
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On January 27, Uttarakhand implemented the UCC becoming the first Indian state to take such a step. The implementation of the UCC was in line with the BJP government’s commitment to the people of the state ahead of the 2022 assembly polls where the party stormed to power for a second consecutive term with a big mandate.
Some legal experts have shunned the UCC saying it will be an infringement on people’s right to privacy.
Muslim groups, including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and several other organisations, have also condemned the implementation of UCC calling it deeply “unfortunate and harmful to the country.”
In a joint statement last month, the AIMPLB and various Muslim organisations asserted that the UCC law in Uttarakhand is undemocratic, unconstitutional, and an assault on the fundamental rights of citizens.
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They said that the law is “absolutely unacceptable” as it undermines the freedom of citizens, including Muslims, to practice their religion and follow its teachings, which are guaranteed by the Constitution.
“The Constitution of the country guarantees all citizens, including Muslims, the freedom to practice their religious beliefs and follow religious teachings. Muslim personal law is an integral part of Islam, which is protected under the Shariat Application Act, 1937,” said the AIMPLB in a statement
No state has the right to implement a Uniform Civil Code, it argued further.
