Different laws for Hindus, Muslims won't be possible: Minister Giriraj

After the Assam Cabinet announced to repeal of the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act, Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday lauded the Assam government's decision and said that separate laws for Hindus and Muslims won't be possible adding that in this manner the country won't function properly.

"Uttarakhand brought the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), now in Assam if one law is followed by everyone then it will be beneficial. Different laws for Hindus and Muslims won't be possible, and in that way, the country won't function properly," Giriraj Singh told reporters on Saturday.

Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) leader Rafiqul Islam on Saturday criticised the decision, calling it a "tactic to target Muslims."

Rafiqul, while speaking to ANI, claimed that the Assam government, led by Himanta Biswa Sarma, does not have the "courage" to bring the Uniform Civil Code, hence repealing the Marriage Act.

"This Government doesn't have the courage to bring UCC. They can't do it. What they brought in Uttarakhand, is not UCC either...They were trying to bring UCC to Assam too. But I think they can't bring it to Assam because there are people from several castes and communities here...BJP followers themselves follow those practices here...Elections are approaching, this is just their tactics to target Muslims," he said.

According to the 2011 census, Muslims make up 34 per cent of Assam's population, standing at 1.06 crore out of a total population of 3.12 crore.

Earlier on Friday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted on social media that the Assam Cabinet has decided to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriage and Divorce Registration Act 1935.

"On 23.2.2024, the Assam cabinet made a significant decision to repeal the age-old assam-muslim-marriage" Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act. This act contained provisions allowing marriage registration even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21, as required by law. This move marks another significant step towards prohibiting child marriages in Assam," Sarma said in a post on X.