TIRUCHY: The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) President Prof. K.M. Khader Mohideen reiterated his party’s demand for electoral reforms that would include holding periodic elections to the Lok Sabha, State Assemblies and even Local Bodies simultaneously, if practically possible.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the party’s women wing, Indian Union Women league’s (IUWL) national executive meeting held here on Friday, Prof Khader Mohideen said the elections to these democratic bodies should be held once in five years.
Moreover, the elections should also be conducted on the basis of percentage of population (Vikithacharam of various communities), as it will pave the way for protecting democracy, he added.
While welcoming the Tamil Nadu Government’s decision to hold elections for the local bodies and direct elections to the post of Mayors, Municipal chairmen and the like, he urged the government to hold elections to the local bodies at the earliest.
Referring to the Union government’s ‘Triple Talaq Bill’, which is pending before the Rajya Sabha, he said the IUML was not supporting the ‘instant Talaq system’, but their only anguish was the Union Government did not consult the Muslim Personal Law Board, theologians, Ulemas and others.
He strongly condemned the Union government’s ‘fascism’ in steamrolling the Bill in the Lower House. The Modi government should give up its move If they contemplated an Ordinance in the event of the Centre not being able to pass the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, he said, adding, the IUML will organise a nationwide protest if an Ordinance was issued on this issue.
Later at the meeting, the women’s wing of IUML strongly condemned the Central government for passing the ‘Triple Talaq’ Bill in the Lower House of Parliament in haste, without a proper discussion of its clauses with all stakeholders including reputed Islamic theologians and scholars.
A resolution to this effect was passed at the meeting presided by the top IUML women’s wing office-bearers, national president, Prof. Thashreef Begum and General Secretary P.K. Noor Beena Rashid Saheeba. They appealed to the Government to withdraw the Bill even at this stage and to uphold the spirit of Article 25 of the Constitution.
While the meeting decided to conduct national and regional level awareness campaign about the ‘Triple Talaq Bill’ in its present form, the meeting also thanked the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha for stalling the passage of the controversial Bill. Among others, IUML national president Prof. K.M. Kahader Mohideen, IUML’s Tiruchy district south president Dr M.A. Mohamed Nizam, Tiruchy district south secretary K.M.K. Habeebur Rahman, State students wing general secretary Ansar Ali, women’s wing vice-president Janaba Ishrath, and women’s wing state treasurer Janaba N.Shasminaz Nizam, spoke.
