Bhopal: “Withdraw the Madhya Pradesh Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026, or exclude Muslims from it,” Bhopal Shahar Qazi Maulana Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi declared, adding that interference in personal laws is unacceptable as it affects religious freedom.
The announcement came at a joint press conference attended by Bhopal Shahar Mufti Abdul Kalaam Qasmi, Fr Anil Martin, and Bhopal’s legal luminaries Adv Syed Sajid Ali and Adv Mohammad Mahir.
The Shahar Qazi said he had been speaking out against this draconian law since day one and was not acting under pressure from anyone. “Those making accusations should understand that we can respond to what we are doing. Our legal panel is also preparing to go to court,” he said.
“The UCC affects Muslim personal law and will impact the religious and legal freedom of Muslims,” he stated. “The Muslim community has always followed its personal laws regarding marriage, inheritance, wills and other personal matters.” If the 21 per cent tribal community can be excluded from the UCC, then the 6 per cent Muslim community should also be excluded, he asserted.
The Shahar Qazi pointed out that he and Bhopal Shahar Mufti Abdul Kalaam Qasmi had submitted a memorandum in this regard to Madhya Pradesh Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar after the Bill was passed by the House.
The Shahar Mufti, meanwhile, said the Muslim community considers Islamic Sharia divine law. As long as any law does not conflict with the Quran and Hadith, Muslims abide by it, he said, but interference in private life and religious principles is absolutely inappropriate.
The MP United Minorities Forum has also opposed the Bill and demanded exemption for Muslims and other minority communities, holding that since the Constitution guarantees religious freedom and cultural identity, the religious sentiments of all communities should be respected in the UCC.
Christian leader Anil Martin raises concerns
Christian religious leader Anil Martin used the press conference to raise concerns over religious freedom, saying that even prayer and worship conducted inside homes is increasingly being questioned on allegations of religious conversion.
Martin said the Indian Constitution guarantees citizens the right to practise their religion. Christian families often invite relatives and acquaintances home for prayer on occasions such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries, he said, but alleged that complaints and accusations of conversion are sometimes made when prayers or religious songs can be heard outside.
Such incidents were affecting religious activities, including what he described as “house church” gatherings, he said, arguing that individuals should not face restrictions for carrying out religious activities within their homes. He questioned what he described as differing attitudes towards religious practices in public and private spaces, and said religious freedom should be protected equally for members of all communities.
Call for wider consultation
On the proposed UCC, Martin said legislation covering sensitive issues such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and live-in relationships should be preceded by wider public consultation, with the views of women’s organisations, tribal communities, religious groups, legal experts and civil society organisations considered before provisions affecting personal and family matters are finalised.
He also expressed concerns about government intervention in matters involving personal life and privacy, raising questions about provisions concerning the registration of live-in relationships and criminal consequences in certain family-related matters.
Asked why the Christian community has reportedly been less vocal than some other groups in opposing the UCC, Martin said many members prefer to avoid police stations, courts and prolonged legal disputes. He claimed there was apprehension that raising objections could lead to cases or administrative action, adding that representatives of the community were nonetheless continuing to communicate their concerns to the government through constitutional means.
Martin referred to Articles 14, 19, 21 and 25 of the Constitution while seeking protection of equality, personal liberty, life and religious freedom. “We are concerned that our religious freedom is being taken away,” he said.
Confusion over cousin marriages
After the Bill’s passage in the Assembly, confusion spread among Muslims in Bhopal that it barred marriages between some relatives, including cousins. This led to a mad beeline at the Bhopal Qaziat to get such Nikahs performed before the Bill became an Act. Applications at the Qaziat, ordinarily about 30-40 a day, swelled past the 200-250 mark.
Dr Sanawar Patel, Chairman of the MP Waqf Board, later stepped in and got a clarification issued by the ruling BJP government that the Bill does not intend to bar marriages between cousins and certain other relatives. The confusion had arisen from a lacuna in the Hindi translation of Section 4(4). The situation has since returned to the practice that prevailed before the “ghost” of the Bill arrived on the scene.
Governor Mangubhai C Patel, after keeping the Bill pending for a month, has forwarded it to the President of India for assent, and it now awaits Presidential approval. Media reports reaching here say Muslim men and women owing allegiance to various community welfare organisations have submitted memorandums to District Collectors in about 50 district headquarters across the state, addressed to the President, urging that assent be withheld and the Bill returned to the state government.
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