On Wednesday, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi emphasized the need for reforms in Muslim personal laws to ensure gender neutrality. Speaking during a discussion on the topic of "Uniform Civil Code (UCC): Majoritarian Agenda or Much-needed Reform?" at the India Today Conclave, he specifically mentioned issues like polygamy and "triple talaq," underlining the necessity for gender-neutral laws. Mr. Modi, a former deputy chief minister of Bihar, stated that it's time to introduce reforms in the existing Muslim personal laws.
In addition to Mr. Modi, the discussion also featured All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi and women's rights activist and lawyer Flavia Agnes as participants.
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"What kind of law requires a divorced woman, who intends to get married to her first husband again, to first marry and get 'triple talaq' from another man to fulfil her wish?" the BJP leader asked.
Mr Owaisi defended the personal laws and said, "The second wife of a Muslim man is entitled to maintenance and a separate house to live." "She gets maintenance rights, a separate house to live in, and is called a wife. Whereas if a Hindu man marries a second wife, she is not even called a wife," he said.
Mr. Owaisi asserted that approximately 80 percent of child marriages occurred within Hindu communities. Meanwhile, Flavia Agnes emphasized the importance of incorporating gender justice into all laws.
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"When the Hindu Code Bill was introduced in 1955, the Hindus vehemently opposed it. At the time, polygamy was more prominent among Hindus than Muslims," Sushil Kumar Modi said.
