Centre dividing the Muslim community: JKPCC chief

Jammu-Kashmir Congress chief today accused the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre of "dividing" Muslims by raising the triple talaq issue and said it was "direct interference" in the religious affairs of the community which will have "dangerous consequences".
"India being a democratic, multi-religion, multi-cultural country cannot afford to tolerate the interference in any religion.
"The much-hyped triple talaq issue, which is being debated and discussed continuously, is a direct interference in the religious affairs of Muslims and a ploy to implement Uniform Civil Code (UCC) in the country," Jammu Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir said in a statement here.

He said the UCC cannot be implemented in the country as "everyone has a right to practice his or her own religion according his or her belief".
Terming as an attempt to "divide" the Muslim community on the triple talaq by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government, the JKPCC chief said the Centre was "willfully misinterpreting" the issue as this law in Muslim religion is based on certain situations that are irrevocable in Muslim jurisprudence and cannot be challenged.
"The BJP has started targeting Muslims on the pretext of triple talaq. As they lack knowledge on the subject, they should desist from misinterpreting the issue merely to create division to implement UCC in the country, which is not only unfortunate, but unacceptable to every individual and religion in the country," Mir said.

The Congress leader warned that interference in religious matters of the Muslims or any other religion by BJP is "fraught with dangerous consequences" and BJP should desist from such "anti-religious activities".

"How can the people of any religion exercise the same laws that are being practiced by other religion with regard to their marriage contracts and vice-versa? Everything in the Muslim religion is practiced on the basis of Sharia laws which are irrevocable and cannot be challenged or debated, but the BJP leadership is hell bent upon to disintegrate the country on religious lines to divert the attention of people from its failures," he said.

Mir termed it as a "vicious campaign and ploy to create confusion" in the country.
"The Prime Minister should focus on governance and leave the triple talaq issue to Muslims, as they are well conversant with their religious laws," he said.
Targeting the ruling PDP in Jammu and Kashmir for remaining silent on the issue, he said PDP's silence on the issue was very unfortunate.
"PDP, for the sake of remaining in power, supports every wrong initiative of the BJP at the Centre and does not bother about the emotions of the people. It is evident that PDP has surrendered its principles and conscience before the RSS with the fear of losing power in the State, but they must know people not only in Kashmir, but in other regions, are watching its anti-people activities," Mir said.