Guwahati:

Assam’s main Opposition party the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) today said it will consider going to court against the Himanta Biswa Sarma government’s decision to ensure mandatory registration of marriage and divorce of Muslims.

The Assam assembly earlier today passed the Assam Compulsory Registration of Muslim Marriages and Divorces Bill, 2024, introduced by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Jogen Mohan on Tuesday.

AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said they are not in agreement with the bill.

“There are a lot of loopholes which we have pointed out. We want amendments to be brought first. Though the Chief Minister has assured of amendments, the bill looks like an extension of the Special Marriage Act, which is not acceptable to us,” Mr Islam said.

He said the Special Marriage Act is for any religion, while the Assam bill is only for Muslims, so both laws cannot be similar, he said, adding they will think about going to court.

“Since the new legislations deal with the registration of Muslim marriages and divorce, we have suggested some amendments since the Chief Minister assured it does not interfere with Muslim Sharia law,” Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia said.

While replying to queries on the marriage bill earlier in the day, Mr Sarma said all earlier registrations of marriages conducted by kazis will remain valid and only new ones will come under the purview of the legislation.

“We are not interfering with the marriages solemnised by Islamic rituals under Muslim Personnel Law at all. Our only condition is that Islam prohibited marriages will not be registered,” he said.

He said child marriage registration will be completely banned with the enactment of this new law. The bill will also prevent men from deserting their wives after marriage and strengthen the institution of marriage, he added.

Earlier, Muslim marriages were registered by kazis. However, this new bill will ensure that all marriages of the community will be registered with the government.

New Delhi:

Maharashtra Congress leader Muhammed Arif ‘Naseem’ Khan has stepped down from the party’s campaign committee, expressing displeasure over the party not nominating any Muslim leader in the state. He wrote a letter to party chief Mallikarjun Kharge stating that he won’t campaign for the Lok Sabha elections as the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) bloc had not fielded a Muslim candidate.

“From total 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra, MVA has not nominated a single Muslim candidate in Maharashtra,” the former state minister wrote.

Many Muslim organisations, leaders and also party workers from all over Maharashtra were expecting the Congress to nominate at least one candidate from the minority community, but unfortunately this has not happened, he noted.

The 60-year-old politician said that all these party leaders and workers are now asking him, “Congress ko Muslim vote chahiye, candidate kyun nahi (Congress wants Muslim votes, but why not candidates.”

“Due to all this reasons, I will not be able to face and I have no answers to Muslims (sic),” Mr Khan wrote in the letter.

Mr Khan also said he is also resigning from the Maharashtra Congress Campaign Committee.

The Congress is contesting 17 out the 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra in alliance with the Shiv Sena (UBT) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). They are constituents of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Muhammed Arif Khan was in race for a ticket from Mumbai North Central, but the party chose city unit president Varsha Gaikwad for the constituency. He had contested the 2019 assembly elections from Chandivali in Mumbai, where he lost by 409 votes.

Speaking separately to PTI, Mr Khan said the Congress it seems has deviated from its long-held ideology of inclusivity.

The senior Congress leader said he was inundated with calls from organisations representing minorities and party workers from these social groups, asking why the Congress has ignored them while allotting tickets for elections in Maharashtra.

“I am unable to face questions of why injustice has been done (to minority groups). The party has deviated from its inclusive ideology and giving representation to all communities,” said a miffed Mr Khan.