Meerut, March 26 -- Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi Barelvi, national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, has strongly opposed the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC). He termed the proposal a "direct interference in Sharia" and asserted that it is unacceptable to the Muslim community. Barelvi highlighted recent developments, specifically the government of Gujarat's passage of a UCC bill in the state assembly. Citing information from sources, he claimed the proposed law includes provisions such as granting women equal rights to initiate divorce, banning practices like halala and iddat, enforcing monogamy and limiting families to two children. The bill also makes marriage registration mandatory and proposes denying government welfare benefits and schemes to those who fail to comply. Barelvi argued that these provisions are in direct conflict with the teachings of the Quran and Hadith, making such a law unacceptable to Muslims. The cleric further stated that the issue would not be limited to Muslims, but would affect other communities across India as well. He questioned the necessity of implementing the UCC, noting that India already possesses a robust legal framework, including the Constitution, IPC, criminal laws, land laws and community-specific personal laws governing marriage and related matters. He emphasised that these existing legal systems have been in place and functioning effectively for 79 years since India's independence. Barelvi also highlighted what he described as a contradiction in the stance of the Law Commission of India. He pointed out that the 21st Law Commission had earlier termed the UCC unnecessary, while the 22nd Law Commission is now engaging in consultations on the issue. "It is surprising that the Commission declared it unnecessary a year ago and is now advocating discussions on it," he said. Announcing a strong response, Barelvi stated that Muslims across the country would oppose the UCC. He added that religious scholars and intellectuals are set to convene a meeting in Ahmedabad soon to formulate a nationwide protest strategy....