NEW DELHI: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Thursday postponed its proposed dharna against the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) at Jantar Mantar after Delhi Police denied permission, citing the “likelihood of a large gathering and difficulty in managing the crowd”.The Board said it had assured authorities that the demonstration would be peaceful and described assembly and protest as constitutional rights. AIMPLB spokesperson S Q R Ilyas, however, advised supporters planning to travel to Delhi not to proceed, asking them to avoid inconvenience and maintain peace.The demonstration was planned to mark the Delhi launch of the Board’s three-month ‘Save India, Save Sharia’ campaign, also described as its ‘Movement for Protection of Constitution and Sharia’, to mobilise public opinion on constitutional rights, religious freedom and Muslim personal law.At an “emergency” press conference, president Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, spokesperson Dr Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas and general secretary Maulana Mohd Fazlur Rahim Mujaddidi criticised the denial and said the campaign would continue through other democratic and legal means. The Board plans to hold public-awareness programmes and legal conventions in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Kolkata and Bengaluru, besides reaching out to religious leaders of other faiths, civil rights groups and tribal communities.The Board has already taken its opposition to the UCC and Waqf law to court. After Uttarakhand notified its UCC on January 27, 2025, AIMPLB filed a challenge in the Uttarakhand High Court in February. After the Gujarat Assembly passed its UCC Bill in March 2026, the Board announced in April that it would challenge the legislation in the Gujarat High Court.Separately, AIMPLB moved the Supreme Court against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, filing its petition in April 2025. The plea challenges the amendments on constitutional grounds, including Articles 14, 25 and 26 — the Right to Equality, Freedom of Religion (Individual), and Freedom to Manage Religious Affairs (Group).The Board also announced a comprehensive ‘White Paper’ documenting what it describes as “discrimination against minorities and violations of constitutional and religious freedoms”, besides setting out its legal objections to the Waqf law. Its proposed charter will cover the UCC, religious freedom, protection of waqf properties and religious places, hate crimes, alleged unlawful demolitions and equal enforcement of law. It is to be submitted to President Droupadi Murmu, seeking protection of minority rights under Articles 25 to 30.The police decision came amid renewed scrutiny of restrictions on protests at Jantar Mantar. On Thursday, the Delhi High Court questioned the police over its refusal to allow another proposed protest at the venue and asked how a blanket ban on demonstrations could be justified. The court was hearing a petition concerning a separate proposed protest by the Kshatriya Karni Sena.
