Muslims will follow Shariat, Quran: SP MP on Assam's move on marriage law

Samajwadi Party MP ST Hasan denounced Assam cabinet's approval to repeal Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act in the state.

Hasan said that Muslims will continue to follow Shariat and Quran. He added that every religion has its own rituals that are being followed for thousands of years and will continue so.

Congress leader Abdur Rashid Mandal called the Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government's move a "discriminatory decision".

"Overall it is a discriminatory decision of the cabinet of Assam because the govt was talking about the UCC and banning polygamy but they failed to do so (bringing the UCC and banning polygamy) for unknown reasons. Just before the election, they're trying to polarise the Hindu voters in favour of BJP by depriving and discriminating Muslims in some fields like repealing this act saying that this is a pre-independence act and citing child marriage which is not a fact. This is the only mechanism to register the marriages of Muslims and there is no other scope or institution and it is also as per the constitution of India. It is the personal law of the Muslim that can't be repealed... I'll discuss it with the leaders of my party and my party will speak about it," he said.

Meanwhile, AIUDF MLA Hafiz Rafiqul Islam said it is a tactic to target Muslims ahead of elections.

"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," he told ANI.

"Elections are approaching, this is just their tactics to target Muslims. So, they couldn't bring any Bill on polygamy or UCC in Assam...So, they are repealing the Assam Muslim Marriages & Divorces Registration Act. The Assam cabinet doesn't have the right to repeal or amend a constitutional right," he added.