The Narendra Modi government has taken some major decisions which are directly related to Muslim society after the Steps towards the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the end of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), after coming to power in 2014, which are directly related to Muslim society. These decisions of the Narendra Modi government gave rise to widespread debate, support and opposition. There was a violent opposition against CAA in some states of the country. Many people also lost their lives.
The major Muslim organizations of the country described these decisions of the Modi government as a threat to religious freedom and identity. It was called overrich of the government and government machinery in religious matters. But the Modi government called them a progressive decision taken according to time and situation. The government argued that these decisions are steps in the direction of reform and equality.
Eradication of triple talaq
The then Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Marriage Rights) Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha on December 28, 2017. BJP said that the purpose of this bill was to declare triple talaq illegal. The bill was to protect the rights of Muslim women and to protect them from arbitrarily divorce by their husbands.
There was a provision of punishment of up to 3 years for the husband who did so in the bill. Let us know that on 22 August 2017, the Supreme Court held the triple talaq unconstitutional, after which the government enacted a law to make it criminal. This bill was enacted in July 2019.
Then Muslim organizations strongly opposed this law.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said that this law is “breaking Muslim families”. AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi opposed it in Parliament and outside.
Darul Uloom Deoband called it non-essential and Muslim organizations demonstrated in Lucknow and Allahabad.
Organizations like All India Majlis-e-Mushwarat in Mumbai protested this and described it as a target of Muslim men.
Muslim leaders said that this law targets Muslim men and makes family disputes criminal. However, many women’s organizations supported this law and said that it gives rights to Muslim women and strengthens their social status.
Citizenship Amendment Act 2019
After the elimination of triple talaq, it was a big step of the Narendra Modi government to bring the Citizenship Amendment Act. The Muslims of India were not directly affected by this. Muslim organizations in the country strongly opposed this law. Violence took place in UP against this law. The police also had to fire.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019 passed in December 2019 was to give citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Muslims were excluded from the purview of this law. The Muslims opposed this about this and described this law divisive and discriminatory.
The CAA was passed on 9 December 2019 and passed on 11 December 2019, after which both violent and peaceful protests took place across the country.
Muslim organizations connected this law with the National Civil Register (NRC) without understanding. Due to this, insecurity spread in the Muslim community, there were widespread demonstrations across the country. The Muslim community and the opposition considered this law discriminatory and said that this law defines citizenship on the basis of religion.
There was a famous Shaheen Bagh movement in protest against this law which lasted for several months. In this movement, women of Muslim society came forward.
However, the government argued that this law is to give shelter to minorities suffering from religious harassment and not against Muslims. Nobody’s citizenship will go through this law.
Uniform Civil Code (UCC)
Uniform Civil Code is an important agenda of BJP government. The BJP has also been referring to this in its manifesto.
At the central level, the UCC has not yet made a law, but the Modi government has expressed intention to implement it. UCC has come into force in BJP ruled Uttarakhand. While Gujarat is preparing to implement this law. CM Bhupendra Patel has formed a committee to assess the need of this law there. Recently, Law Minister Rushikesh Patel said in the state assembly that UCC is a step towards ensuring equal justice for all the people of the state and realizing the concept of Ek Bharat Shrestha Bharat.
The UCC talks about a uniform personal law (marriage, divorce, succession etc.) for all religions. The government argues that the UCC will promote gender equality and national unity. It is also mentioned in Article 44 of the Constitution.
But Muslim organizations, especially AIMPLB, described it as an attack on Muslim Personal Law (Sharia) and said that this law is encroachment in religious rights. A section of the Muslim community fears that this will end their cultural and religious identity.
This law is being seen under the majority agenda, due to which there is a possibility of increasing conflict. The debate about the UCC is still going on, but in the Muslim community, the feeling of insecurity and opposition has been strengthened.
Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Now after these three steps, the Narendra Modi government has moved forward with the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha for the first time in August 2024, is to improve the management and assets of the Waqf Board, it has provisions like involvement of non-Muslim members, property survey and transparency.
The central government argues that the purpose of this law is to prevent corruption and misuse in Waqf properties as well as benefit women and backward Muslims.
At the same time, organizations like AIMPLB and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind attacked it on Waqf’s autonomy and said that according to the intention of the government, the inclusion of non-Muslims in the board is interfered with religious affairs.