UCC: Muslim League declines CPM’s invitation to participate in seminars

Malappuram: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Sunday declined the invitation by the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) to take part in its seminars on the hotly debated Uniform Civil Code (UCC). A decision in this regard was taken during a meeting in Panakkad, Malappuram. 

Speaking on the matter, Panakkad Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal asserted that in the League’s opinion, all should stand together against the UCC implementation. “It is not merely the issue of one community. Rather, a national issue. Such a law should not be passed in the Parliament,” he said. 

“Every political party has the freedom to function in its own way. Organisations are also free to decide whether to participate in those activities or not. IUML is the most important component of the UDF in the state. It is the Indian National Congress (INC) that can respond the most in the country on this issue,” Thangal added. 

He further pointed out that only IUML was invited by the CPM to participate in the seminar and all other constituent parties were left out. “In the wake of the current political scenario, the League cannot attend the seminar,” Thangal said.

"No one can move forward against the UCC by sidelining the INC. Moreover, taking part in a seminar without Congress would also adversely affect the political future of Kerala," he said.

Earlier on Saturday, CPM state secretary MV Govindan had remarked that the rationale behind inviting IUML was to oppose UCC by cooperating with all like-minded entities except “Congress, which do not have a stand on the matter and fundamentalists”

While IUML declined the Left party's invite, the Samastha Kerala Jamiyyathul Ulama -- an influential religious organisation of Sunni Muslim scholars and clerics -- on Saturday had said it will cooperate with the CPI(M) and take part in its seminar to be held next week on the UCC.

A strong political debate has been kicked off in the state over the UCC after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, last week, made a strong push for implementing the UCC by asking how the country can function with dual laws that govern personal matters.

He had advocated for the UCC while addressing BJP workers in Bhopal in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh.

With PTI inputs