On Sunday (8th December), a sitting judge of the Allahabad High Court delivered a lecture on the constitutional necessity of the Uniform Civil Code at an event hosted by the Vishva Hindu Parishad’s (VHP) legal cell in Prayagraj. In his speech, Justice Shekhar Yadav said “Kathmullas,” in an apparent reference to Islamic fundamentalists, are dangerous for the country. He was speaking on the topic Uniform Civil Code: A Constitutional Necessity.
“Lekin yeh jo kathmullah hai jo…yeh sahi shabd nahi hai…lekin kehne mein parhez nahi hai kyunki woh desh ke liye bura hai…desh ke liye ghatak hai, khilaaf hai, janta ko bhadhkane wale log hai…desh aage na badhe is prakar ke log hai…unse saavdhaan rehne ki zaroorat hai (But these kathmullah… this may not be the right word… but I won’t hesitate to say it because they are harmful to the country…they are detrimental, against the nation, and people who incite the public. They are the kind of people who do not want the country to progress, and we need to be cautious of them),” Justice SK Yadav remarked.
A sitting Judge of Allahbad High Court, Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav uses the term 'Kathmulla' for the 'extremists' in the Muslim community, saying that we should beware of them. pic.twitter.com/x4tCtEdtaK
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Justice Shekhar Yadav also stated that children in one community are taught the principles of kindness and nonviolence, and people there are nurtured to be tolerant. But in the other community, it is hard to expect tolerance from children especially when these children see animal slaughter in front of them.
“In our country, we are taught from a young age to respect all living beings, even the smallest animals, and to avoid harming them. This lesson becomes a part of who we are, which is perhaps why we are more tolerant and compassionate, feeling pain when others suffer. But this isn’t the case for everyone. In our culture, children are raised with guidance towards God, taught Vedic mantras, and instilled with the values of non-violence. However, in some other cultures, children grow up witnessing the slaughter of animals, which makes it difficult to expect them to develop tolerance and compassion,” Yadav said.
Regarding the Uniform Civil Code, Justice Shekhar Yadav remarked that while women are revered as goddesses in Hindu scriptures including shastras and vedas, members of a certain community continue to claim the right to take multiple wives, indulge in Halala, or practise Triple Talaq.
You can’t disrespect a woman who has been recognised as a goddess in our shastras and vedas. You can’t claim the right to have four wives, perform halala, or practice triple talaq. You say, we have the right to say ‘triple talaq,’ and not give maintenance to women. This right will not work. UCC isn’t something that VHP, RSS, or Hinduism advocates. The country’s top court also talks about it…This is the historic library hall of the court, where so many great personalities have been… I vow that this country will surely enact a uniform law, and it will happen very soon,” Justice Yadav said.
