3 min readLucknowApr 3, 2026 08:46 PM IST
THE ALL India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday opposed the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill recently passed by the Gujarat Assembly, describing it as constitutionally flawed, legally untenable, and fundamentally violative of religious freedom and civil liberties.
Asserting that it would challenge legislation in the Gujarat High Court, the AIMPLB demanded an immediate halt to the implementation of the UCC in both Uttarakhand and Gujarat, and called for a comprehensive constitutional review. It also urged that any future reforms in family laws must be undertaken only through broad-based consultation with all stakeholders, within the framework of constitutional guarantees and legal due process.
The AIMPLB also expressed concern over the timing of the legislation and said the move appears to be politically motivated, particularly in view of upcoming elections in several states and municipal polls in Gujarat.
Addressing reporters in New Delhi, senior representatives of the AIMPLB said that the Gujarat UCC Bill, currently awaiting the Governor’s assent, has raised grave constitutional, legal, and democratic concerns. The Board office-bearers stated that the legislation, despite being labeled as a “Uniform Civil Code”, does not conform to the constitutional spirit and directly infringes upon the fundamental rights guaranteed under Part III of the Constitution, including the rights to religious freedom, equality, and personal liberty.
The AIMPLB said that the UCC is mentioned under Article 44 in Part IV of the Constitution as a Directive Principle of State Policy, which is not directly enforceable like fundamental rights. It stressed that any such code, in its true constitutional sense, must be uniformly applicable to all citizens throughout the country. However, the Gujarat law, it pointed out, neither applies nationwide nor uniformly within the state itself, as Scheduled Tribes and other constitutionally protected communities have been exempted.
“This legislation cannot be described as a genuine Uniform Civil Code. The nomenclature itself is misleading and deceptive,” said SQR Ilyas, AIMPLB spokesperson.
Ilyas said that the Uttarakhand UCC has already been challenged before the High Court by the AIMPLB and several religious organisations, and the Board will challenge the Gujarat UCC too.
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Expressing concern over the consultative process undertaken by the Gujarat Government, the AIMPLB stated that although a committee was constituted to seek public feedback, the report has not been made public, despite widespread opposition to the proposal.
“This raises serious questions about transparency and suggests that the consultative exercise was merely a procedural formality rather than a genuine democratic process,” it said in a statement.
