Guwahati: AIUDF General Secretary TT Rafiqul Islam on Tuesday addressed a range of national and state issues, defending the constitutional right to appeal court verdicts, calling for the completion of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) process in Assam, demanding the repeal of the Uniform Civil Code (UCC), opposing the alleged pushback of Indian citizens, and seeking rehabilitation for families affected by eviction drives.
Reacting to Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Arshad Madani’s decision to challenge the Gujarat High Court verdict in the 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts case before the Supreme Court, Rafiqul Islam said every citizen has a constitutional right to seek legal remedies.
“Every individual has the legal right to appeal if they are dissatisfied with a court’s verdict. After the trial court, one can approach the High Court, and thereafter the Supreme Court. Since the death sentences have been upheld, the convicts have the right to move the Supreme Court. If Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind has decided to file an appeal, there is nothing wrong with that. The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to approach the Supreme Court,” he said.
Commenting on AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi’s remarks suggesting that a recent meeting involving Union Home Minister Amit Shah could indicate a nationwide NRC rollout, Rafiqul Islam said Assam’s NRC exercise should first be brought to its logical conclusion.
He pointed out that the NRC in Assam was conducted under the supervision of the Supreme Court over five years, involving nearly 50,000 government employees and extensive verification at every administrative level.
“If the government could not implement the NRC across the country, despite taking five years to complete it in just one state, then it should at least conclude the Assam NRC. The government itself informed the Rajya Sabha that the NRC exercise in Assam had been completed successfully. NRC certificates should now be issued to the 3.11 crore people whose names appear in the final list, while those excluded should be allowed to pursue their legal remedies before the Foreigners’ Tribunals as directed by the Supreme Court,” he said.
Rafiqul Islam also said an AIUDF delegation led by party president Badruddin Ajmal recently met Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and submitted a memorandum highlighting three key demands. The first demand sought the repeal of the Uniform Civil Code passed during the last Assembly session. According to the AIUDF leader, the legislation cannot be considered a truly uniform civil code as it does not apply equally to all sections of Assam’s population.
He alleged that certain provisions interfere with Muslim Personal Law relating to marriage, divorce, inheritance and succession, arguing that these matters are constitutionally protected and that the legislation infringes upon the customs, traditions and religious practices of the Muslim community.
The second demand called for an immediate halt to the alleged pushback of Indian citizens, claiming that genuine citizens possessing decades-old documents were being labelled as Bangladeshis and abandoned in the border’s no-man’s land.
The third demand urged the government to ensure proper rehabilitation before carrying out eviction drives. Rafiqul Islam said poor and landless families, irrespective of religion, should first be rehabilitated and provided with land pattas before any eviction is undertaken.
Expressing condolences over the recent landslide in Wayanad, Kerala, Rafiqul Islam said the government must provide adequate medical assistance to the injured and extend support to the families of those killed. He also urged authorities in Assam to strengthen disaster preparedness in landslide- and flood-prone districts such as Dhemaji and Lakhimpur before every monsoon season.
On the recent rape and murder of a minor, Rafiqul Islam said those responsible must face the strictest punishment under the law. Referring to the RG Kar case, he said no daughter should ever be subjected to such brutality.
Commenting on the police encounter involving a rape accused, he said that if the deceased was indeed guilty, he had received the ultimate punishment. However, he stressed that if others were involved in the crime, they must also be identified, arrested and prosecuted, adding that the government must ensure that every person responsible is brought to justice.