The YSRCP's support will be crucial for the NDA to pass the UCC Bill in Parliament; Jagan says draft Bill not yet ready.
Muslim leaders meeting YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. (Supplied)
The ruling YSRCP and the Opposition TDP in Andhra Pradesh — which had so far not spelt out their stand on the contentious Uniform Civil Code (UCC) — have both assured the Muslim community that they would uphold the interests of the minority community.
Both parties gave the assurance to a Muslim delegation on Wednesday, 19 July, a day before the commencement of Parliament’s monsoon session.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Union government is likely to table a Bill in this regard in Parliament during the session that commenced on Thursday.
Muslim leaders’ meeting with N Chandrababu Naidu. (Supplied)
Though the TDP does not have significant numbers either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha, the YSRCP’s support would be crucial for the NDA while introducing the UCC Bill.
YSRCP has 22 members in the Lok Sabha and nine in the Rajya Sabha. The TDP has three in the Lok Sabha and one member in the Upper House.
While meeting Muslim leaders separately on Wednesday, YSRCP supremo and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu promised that they would not do anything that would hurt the sentiments of the minority community.
“This is your government working for the interests of the weaker sections and minorities and it will not take any decision that will hurt your sentiments. Don’t get unduly worried,” Jagan told the Muslim representatives.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pushing for the implementation of the UCC, saying different sets of laws for different communities did not augur well for the country and they were not sustainable.
Jagan’s meeting with Muslim leaders in AP. (Supplied)
Jagan said the Union government was yet to prepare the draft UCC Bill.
Further, he stated that a false narrative was being propagated regarding Muslim women’s rights and suggested that religious heads and elders should reject it.
Affirming that there would be no compromise on the rights of Muslim women, he sought suggestions from the representatives.
Noting that different personal law boards were working based on their faiths and religious practices, Jagan said if these practices were to be streamlined, it should be done through personal law boards, as they have a fair idea and understanding.
He said only these boards were competent enough to avoid misinterpretation.
“If these are to be changed, the Supreme Court, Law Commission, and the Union government should discuss the issues with various law boards and work on their proposals. Otherwise, it may not work in a country like India which is guided by diversity,” he added.
Promising that the TDP would never go against Muslim interests, Naidu vouched his party would stand by them on the UCC issue.
The Muslim representatives, who met Naidu at the party state headquarters at Mangalagiri, urged the TDP leader and former chief minister not to support the UCC.
“I will study the suggestions from the Muslim community on the UCC and stand by you. The TDP will always give priority to the welfare and development of the Muslim community and will uphold their religious beliefs,” Naidu said.
Though Muslims comprise only around 7.33 percent of the state’s total population, they are unevenly distributed and concentrated mostly in a few pockets, especially in Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra districts.
The Rayalaseema region sends more than 50 MLAs to the state Assembly and the region is important for any political party in the state.
The 2011 census data published in 2015 put the Muslim of population in Andhra at 36,17,713. The state’s total population is 4,93,86,799.
The percentage of Muslims in Andhra Pradesh is lower than the national average of of 14.2 percent.
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