Srinagar, Oct 7: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar on Wednesday welcomed Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s assertion that the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) would not be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sagar said the National Conference had opposed the BJP’s UCC agenda from the outset and remained committed to protecting religious freedom, personal laws and minority rights guaranteed under the Constitution.
He described the UCC as a sensitive issue linked to the religious and personal laws of India’s diverse communities. For Muslims, he said, matters including marriage, divorce, inheritance, mehr and family affairs are governed by the Holy Quran and religious injunctions.
Any uniform law that disregards or restricts these principles could conflict with Muslims’ constitutional and religious rights, Sagar said. He added that imposing a single legal framework on all communities could undermine India’s religious diversity and individual freedom.
Sagar warned that changing family laws followed for centuries in the name of uniformity could hurt religious sentiments and create mistrust and social discord. He also said that attempts to advance the UCC through states without wider parliamentary consensus would go against democratic principles and the Constitution’s federal spirit.
Reiterating the party’s opposition to any measure affecting the religious, constitutional and democratic rights of Jammu and Kashmir’s people, Sagar said the Omar Abdullah government’s stand was commendable. He said the government was committed to safeguarding the religious rights, personal freedoms and constitutional guarantees of all sections of society.
