GUWAHATI: Asaduddin Owaisi, the leader of the All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), launched a scathing criticism against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Assam for repealing the Muslim Marriages Act, accusing them of depriving Muslims of their religious rights.
Sharia, an integral component of Islamic tradition, was at the centre of Owaisi’s condemnation of the ruling party’s actions in Assam.
He denounced the decision to abolish the 90-year-old Muslim Marriage Act, which resulted in Muslim marriages being regulated under the Special Marriage Act.
Owaisi raised concerns about the implications of this change, questioning who would perform the ‘khutbah’ during the ‘nikah’ (wedding ceremony) and highlighting the absence of a ‘qazi’ to officiate marriages and the lack of provision for the bride’s ‘Maher’ (a stipulated gift according to Sharia).
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Owaisi delivered these remarks during a public meeting in Hyderabad, where he accused the BJP of attempting to erode the significance of Sharia by imposing regulations under the Special Marriage Act.
He alleged that the BJP’s agenda aimed to diminish the importance of Sharia in Muslim marriages by mandating registration under the Special Marriage Act, thereby encroaching upon religious freedoms.
His impassioned speech underscored the concerns of many within the Muslim community regarding the preservation of their religious customs and traditions amidst legislative changes imposed by the BJP government in Assam.