New Delhi: After the All India Muslim Personal Law Board said that they will challenge the Supreme Court's latest verdict, allowing divorced women to claim maintenance after the period of "Iddat", Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Monday said that his party has always been in favour of respecting women and also respect the verdict of the top court.
Gogoi told ANI, "The Congress party has always been in favour of respecting women. Because we believe in the Constitution and democracy, we also respect the decisions made by the Supreme Court."
He also mentioned that if the central government passes the women's reservation bill in the upcoming budget session, Congress will respect that decision.
"We want the Women's Reservation Bill to be implemented not in the future but right now. If the Central Government brings an amendment in the Budget session stating that the Women's Reservation Bill will be implemented immediately rather than after delimitation, we will respect that decision too," Gogoi said.
Meanwhile, the Muslim board will also challenge the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) law passed in Uttarakhand along with the SC's ruling.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board held a working committee meeting on Sunday in which various issues were discussed.
"The first resolution was about the recent Supreme Court judgement. This decision conflicts with Sharia law. The resolution states that marriage in Islam is considered a sacred bond. Islam makes every effort to prevent divorce. The Supreme Court's decision claims to be in the "interest of women", but from the perspective of marriage, this decision will become problematic for women. If a man has to provide maintenance even after divorce, why would he divorce? And if bitterness has developed in the relationship, who will suffer from it? We will consult with the legal committee to work on how this decision can be rolled back," Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, spokesperson for the board said.
The Supreme Court ruled on July 10 that Section 125 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) applied to all married women, including Muslim married women and they can claim maintenance from their husbands under these provisions.
The top court also echoed that the time has come for Indian men to recognise the role and sacrifice of 'homemakers' who are the strength and backbone of an Indian family and they must provide financial support to her by having joint accounts and ATMs.
Speaking on the UCC, Syed Qasim Ilyas said that their legal committee is working on the process to challenge the UCC law in Uttarakhand.
"Diversity is the identity of our country, which our Constitution has preserved. The UCC attempts to end this diversity. The UCC is not only against the Constitution but also against our religious freedom. The UCC passed in Uttarakhand is causing a lot of trouble for everyone. We have decided to challenge the UCC in Uttarakhand, and our legal committee is preparing for it," he added.
—ANI