View should not be imposed on Muslims without wide consultations: JD(U) on triple talaq bill
New Delhi, Jun 14: BJP ally Janata Dal (United) Friday opposed the triple talaq bill, which is likely to be tabled by the Narendra Modi government in the upcoming Parliament session, and said any view should not be imposed on Muslims without wide consultations.
"Janata Dal(U) reiterates its previous stand on Uniform Civil Code. Ours is a nation based on a delicate balance in respect of laws and governing principles for different religions and ethnic groups. We must not impose any view without obtaining substantive consultations," its spokesperson K C Tyagi said in a statement.
Though the statement did not address the triple talaq bill directly, JD(U) sources said the proposed legislation is at the centre of their stand on Uniform Civil Code as the BJP has often projected its strong push for criminalising instant divorce among Muslims as a step toward uniform civil laws among people of different faiths.
The Bihar party, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, had opposed the bill even during the first term of Prime Minister Modi, and the reiteration of its stand makes it clear that the JD(U) remains firm on its stand.
"We are of the view that it (UCC) still needs in-depth consultations with various religious groups. In absence of such a process, any attempt at premature or hasty tampering with long standing religious practices that deal with complex issues of marriage, divorce, adoption, inheritance and the right to property and succession, would be clearly inadvisable," Tyagi said.
The JD(U) demands that all the stakeholders must be taken into confidence to make the law more broad, comprehensive and acceptable, he added.
The party also attached Kumar's letter to the Law Commission in 2017 in which he had called for a debate and broad consultation on the issue before any attempt is made to push for it.
The Modi government's attempt to push the triple talaq bill for passage in Parliament was blocked in its first term due to its lack of numbers in Rajya Sabha.
While it enjoys a strong majority in Lok Sabha, it will need support from non-NDA parties for the passage of the bill in Upper House.
Opposition by allies like JD(U), a member of the NDA, is likely to make its job harder in Rajya Sabha.
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Activists write open letter to Odisha govt flagging anti-Christian violence
New Delhi: Activists and rights campaigners John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander have expressed serious concern over the alleged rise in violence and intimidation against Christians in several districts, accusing both Hindutva organisations and sections of the police of targeting the minority community.
In a strongly worded communication addressed to the state administration, the signatories said they had received disturbing testimonies from affected people regarding social boycott, denial of burial rights, physical assaults and police intimidation.
According to the activists, Christians in some areas were allegedly boycotted by villagers, while people who traded with them, employed them or provided them shelter were also targeted.
The letter also highlighted what it described as “gruesome” incidents involving the prevention of burials of Christians within village burial grounds and even on privately owned lands belonging to Christian families. The activists said there were cases where bodies remained unburied for days due to opposition from local groups, while in some instances burials were allegedly forced to take place in forest areas outside village limits. Funeral prayers were also reportedly disrupted.
The signatories further alleged that in certain districts the violence escalated into physical assaults on Christians. They claimed that some victims were tied to trees and beaten, while others were allegedly placed inside sacks and assaulted. The letter also mentioned a few reported instances of sexual violence and attempts to burn people alive, which, according to them, were stopped at the last moment.
Expressing particular concern, the activists said many victims had testified that police personnel joined hands with Hindutva organisations to force Christians into signing “compromise” agreements. These agreements allegedly required them to give up their faith and stop collective worship.
The letter also accused the police of registering serious criminal cases against victims of attacks instead of taking action against the attackers. According to the signatories, many of those attacked were detained in police stations and jails, while in some cases the police themselves allegedly played a direct role in intimidation and violence against Christians.
Stating that there appeared to be a “complete breakdown in the constitutional machinery of the state” in relation to Christian minorities, the activists urged the administration to uphold and protect the constitutional and religious rights of all citizens without discrimination based on religion, caste or creed.
The letter was signed by John Dayal, Aakar Patel, Vidya Dinker and Harsh Mander.
