The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference has welcomed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s clear position that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) will not be implemented in the Union Territory. Party General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar announced the party’s support in a statement issued in Srinagar on October 6.
Sagar said the National Conference has opposed the BJP’s UCC agenda from the start. He said the party has consistently advocated the protection of religious freedom, personal laws and the rights of minorities guaranteed under the Constitution of India.
He described the UCC as a sensitive matter linked directly to the religious and personal laws of different communities. He pointed to India’s diversity in religions, cultures and languages. For Muslims, he said, marriage, divorce, inheritance, mehr and other family affairs connect to the Holy Qur’an and religious injunctions. He warned that any UCC which disregards or restricts these principles would conflict with the constitutional and religious rights of Muslims.
Sagar noted that the Constitution of India guarantees every citizen the freedom to practise their religion and live according to their traditions and beliefs. He said a single uniform legal framework for all religions and communities would run against the fundamental principles of religious diversity and personal freedom.
Sagar said altering family matters governed by this law in the name of uniformity would hurt religious sentiments.