AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the umbrella representative body of Indian Muslims from different schools of thought, has announced a nationwide mass movement to defend constitutional values and religious freedom.
The campaign, titled “Movement for the Protection of the Constitution and Shariah” was announced at a press conference here on Monday. The Board described the campaign as a people’s movement, not confined to one community.
The press conference was addressed by senior leadership of the board, including Syed Saadatullah Husaini, chief of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind and Vice-President of AIMPLB; Maulana Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi, General Secretary; Dr S Q R Ilyas, Spokesperson of the board; and Maulana Asghar Imam Mehdi Salafi, chief of Markazi Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith and Vice-President of AIMPLB.
The announcement follows an executive committee meeting of the board on June 22, presided over by AIMPLB president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, which had decided to prepare a comprehensive document on the deteriorating condition of Muslims in the country.
The board said that over the past several years, vulnerable and marginalised sections, particularly Muslims, have faced severe pressure and insecurity.
It listed several concerns, including mob violence and lynching of Muslims, especially in BJP-ruled states, and extra-legal demolition drives targeting Muslim homes, localities, mosques and madrasas.
The board also listed disputes over mosques, shrines, Waqf properties, graveyards and madrasas, and illegal occupation of Waqf properties. The board has also been a petitioner for implementation of the Places of Worship Act, 1991.
The board flagged the Madhya Pradesh High Court judgment on the Kamal Maula/Bhojshala complex, which it said was contrary to historical evidence and inconsistent with the Places of Worship Act.
The board also opposed attempts to dilute Muslim Personal Law through the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and expressed concern over proposals or measures relating to compulsory singing of Vande Mataram, educational curricula and practices in educational institutions that it said could affect the religious sentiments of minorities.
Other issues flagged by the board include arbitrary arrests of Muslim youth, changes in educational curricula and practices that could affect minority sentiments.
The board also criticised secular political parties for what it called “criminal silence” on these issues, saying Muslims had been reduced to a vote bank.
“These are not merely issues concerning one community; they concern India’s constitutional identity, democratic values and shared national heritage,” said spokesperson Dr Ilyas.
The board stressed that the movement will be conducted entirely through constitutional and peaceful means. An Action Committee will coordinate the campaign.
The board outlined a multi-phase roadmap:
A key element of the campaign will be the preparation of a White Paper documenting cases that the board considers examples of discrimination, constitutional violations and human rights abuses. The document is meant to be shared with media organisations, human rights bodies, elected representatives and relevant institutions.
The AIMPLB also plans to publish a legal guidebook explaining legal rights and available judicial remedies in cases involving alleged unlawful demolitions and “bulldozer actions”. It will also cover the protection of Waqf properties, graveyards, mosques and madrasas.
On mob violence, the Board proposes to issue a comprehensive declaration setting out the principle of the rule of law, the responsibilities of governments and law-enforcement authorities, and the legal rights of victims and their families.
The movement will also formulate a Charter of Demands, which the board plans to submit to the President of India through Governors, as well as to district administrations. The proposed charter will cover constitutional rights, prevention of hate crimes, religious freedom, protection against unlawful demolitions, safeguarding of Waqf and religious properties, and equal enforcement of the law.
The campaign will have a significant media and digital component, including press conferences, media briefings, video documentation and coordinated social media campaigns, particularly on X.
At a later stage, the board plans to organise a major national gathering in the national capital, bringing together representatives from different communities, faiths and social organisations. The roadmap for the subsequent phase of the movement is expected to be announced at the gathering.
“The proposed campaign would oppose hatred, communalism and violence and instead promote peace, fraternity, dialogue and mutual respect,” said Saadatullah Husaini.
The board appealed to citizens and organisations committed to democratic and constitutional values to join the campaign, saying that the protection of fundamental rights and the rule of law was a shared national responsibility.
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