A BJP-affiliated “Pasmanda” (backward) Muslim organization, Rashtravadi Muslim Pasmanda Mahaz, held a convention in Lucknow on Sunday in an effort to “remove” the “misconceptions” about the UCC that it claimed were being spread by some Muslim clerics, leaders, and opposition parties. This was in response to opposition to the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) from the Muslim community in various parts of the country.
“Uniform Civil Code aur Pasmanda Muslims — brantiyon aur afwahon ko dur karne ke liye samwad” (UCC and Pasmanda Muslims — dialogue to eradicate misconceptions and rumors) was the topic of the convention.
Several prominent BJP leaders and UP Ministers attended the Rashtravadi Muslim Pasmanda Mahaz gathering. Iqbal Singh Lalpura, the chair of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), who is a member of the BJP’s Central Parliamentary Board and Central Election Committee, was the convention’s chief guest. Danish Azad Ansari, the UP Minister of State for Minorities Affairs, Baldev Singh Aulakh, and Vidya Sagar Sonkar, a member of the BJP in the UP Legislative Council, were also present on stage.
Along with images of Lalpura, Danish, and Sonkar, the banner displayed on stage also featured images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and UP BJP President Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary.
Lalpura assured the crowd that “PM Modi takes care of everyone” and that the Muslim community need not be afraid of the UCC.
Atif Rashid, the president of Mahaz and a member of the BJP, challenged the “Ashraf” (upper caste) members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) to a discussion of the UCC during his address. He stated that representatives from his group would meet with the AIMPLB members to urge them not to “mislead” Pasmanda Muslims over the UCC. Rashid stated that the UCC proposal’s goal is to grant equal rights to all women and that it won’t alter peoples’ cultural practices, lifestyles, or methods of praying.
Faisal Mansoori, the UP in-charge of the Mahaz, claimed that individuals like AIMIM head Asaduddin Owaisi, numerous Muslim clerics, and members of the AIMPLB were causing “misconceptions” regarding the UCC to be circulated among Muslims without having really studied it.
