Law Commission agrees UCC not practical in India, says Muslim body
New Delhi, July 31 : The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday claimed that the Law Commission in principle agrees that a uniform civil code (UCC) is not practicable in India given the country's vast diversity and complexities.
The Law Commission has been examining the issue of implementing a common civil law for all communities in India and had invited the AIMPLB on Tuesday to discuss the Muslim personal law and the desired changes in it.
"First and foremost we made it clear that Muslim personal law is as per the divine decree and nobody is authorised to change it. The Commission was very receptive of our views and the meeting happened in a very cordial atmosphere," said Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umari, who led the AIMPLB delegation.
"The Law Commission Chairman admitted that a uniform civil code is not a practical idea for India and that the government should not even think of implementing it for at least 10 years. We told him that not just 10 years, the idea should be dropped for good," Umari said.
Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, a member of the delegation, said the Commission discussed as to what good things from the Muslim personal law can be made part of the Hindu civil code and vice versa.
"We are clear that we cannot tweak our personal law at will. It is based on Quranic injunctions and the Hadith," he said.
Advocate Niaz Farooqi said that when the delegation requested the Commission that before making any law about Muslims, it should at least consult the community, they were shocked to hear the reply.
"The Chairman said that the government was not even consulting the Law Commission on such matters, let alone others. This clearly shows that the Narendra Modi government is more interested in doing politics on Muslim issues than actual reform," Farooqi said.
AIMPLB spokesman Kamal Farooqui said: "Today we have submitted a detailed note on the questions raised by the Law Commission. The issues pertained to inheritance, adoption, custody of children, making a will, difference in interpretation of Islamic laws among various sects and model nikahnama."
In response to a question, Farooqi said that nikah halala had no backing in the Shariah.
"I can tell you with full authority that there is no concept of nikah halala in the Shariah. The debate around it is more a media creation," Farooqui said.
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Andhra milk contamination: Death toll rises to 13, seven undergoing treatment
Rajamahendravaram (Andhra Pradesh)(PTI): The death toll in the suspected milk adulteration incident in East Godavari district has risen to 13, while seven persons continue to receive treatment at hospitals in Rajamahendravaram, an official said on Thursday.
Health department officials said the cluster of cases was first noticed on February 22 after several elderly residents were admitted to hospitals with symptoms such as anuria, vomiting, abdominal pain and acute renal dysfunction requiring dialysis.
Residents from Chowdeswaranagar and Swaroopanagar areas of Lalacheruvu reportedly fell ill after consuming milk suspected to be adulterated and supplied in the locality.
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"The death toll in the suspected milk adulteration case in East Godavari district has reached 13, while seven persons are undergoing treatment at hospitals in Rajamahendravaram," the official said.
Authorities noted that strong epidemiological indicators point towards milk adulteration as the probable cause and multiple departments have initiated coordinated action.
Medical examinations revealed elevated levels of blood urea and serum creatinine among the affected persons, suggesting possible toxic exposure, they said.
Preliminary investigations indicated milk consumption as the main source of exposure. The milk was reportedly supplied to nearly 106 families by Varalakshmi Milk Dairy in Narasapuram village of Korukonda mandal, following which the supply was immediately halted.
Emergency medical camps have been set up in the affected localities with doctors and ambulance services deployed round the clock, officials said.
Rapid Response Teams comprising the district surveillance officer, physicians, microbiologists, paediatricians, forensic experts, epidemiologists and nephrologists were constituted to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, the Food Safety Department inspected the dairy unit linked to the supply and collected samples of milk, paneer, ghee, drinking water and vinegar for surveillance and enforcement.
The samples have been sent to laboratories, including JNTU Kakinada and VIMTA Labs in Hyderabad for microbial, physio-chemical and toxic adulterant analysis.
Blood and urine samples of affected persons have also been forwarded for detailed toxicological examination, officials added.
The suspected milk vendor, Addala Ganeswararao (33), a resident of Narasapuram village, has been taken into custody and the dairy unit associated with the supply has been sealed.
CLUES (Crime scene Linking Understanding Evidence and Science) and forensic teams inspected the premises, while post-mortem samples were sent to the Regional Forensic Laboratory in Vijayawada. Police said an investigation is underway to trace the distribution network and identify affected consumers.
The Animal Husbandry Department also formed a team of four veterinary doctors, collected 41 milk samples along with cattle feed and water samples, and sent them to the Veterinary Biological Research Institute in Vijayawada for analysis.
Meanwhile, the police registered a case under Section 194 of the BNSS and Section 174 of the CrPC.
