AIMPLB reached Uttarakhand High Court to challenge UCC, said- it is against Muslim Personal Law

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has challenged the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) law in the Uttarakhand High Court. AIMPLB spokesperson Dr SQR Ilyas said that the Board has filed a petition arguing that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) law violates various articles of the Constitution and is against Muslim Personal Law, which is protected under the Sharia Application Act of 1937 and the Indian Constitution and the petition has been accepted by the Uttarakhand High Court and the next hearing is scheduled for April 1, 2025.

After the notification of the Uniform Civil Code, Uttarakhand (“the Code” for short) on 27.01.2025, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board filed a petition challenging the Code in the Uttarakhand High Court through ten different individuals. These individuals are affected parties and some of them are also associated with the Muslim Personal Law Board. The petitioners are Ms. Razia Baig, Mr. Abdul Basit (both are State Conveners of various committees), Mr. Khurshid Ahmad, Mr. Taufiq Alam, Mohammad Tahir, Mr. Noor Karam Khan, Mr. Abdul Rauf, Mr. Yakub Siddiqui, Mr. Latafat Hussain and Mr. Akhtar Hussain and all are residents of Uttarakhand.

The petition was drafted by Ms. Nabila Jameel, Advocate and handled by Mr. M.R. Shamshad, Senior Advocate, challenging the entire Code on various grounds including violation of Fundamental Rights and other rights of individuals and communities in view of the fact that the Constitution of India as well as the Shariat Application Act, 1937 protects the personal law/Islamic law followed by Muslims.

Mr. M.R. Shamshad, Senior Advocate and Executive Member of the Board, Mr. Imran Ali and Mr. Mohammad Yusuf, duly assisted by Advocates, appeared on behalf of the petitioners. The learned Solicitor General appeared for the State and the Central Government and after the Court issued notice on the petition, the State was given liberty to file a counter affidavit. The matter will now be listed on April 1, 2025 and will be heard along with the petitions that have been filed earlier challenging various provisions of the Code.