Why oppose the anti-blasphemy law? many raised their voices

New Delhi: Days after the All India Muslim Personal Law Board demanded an anti-blasphemy law, many people, including lyricist-poet Javed Akhtar and actor Naseeruddin Shah, have strongly opposed the demand. He says there can be no place for a law criminalizing blasphemy in a secular nation.

Earlier this week, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had drawn the government’s attention to the insults done to Prophet Muhammad by some mischievous persons and lamented that no government had failed to take concrete steps in the matter. . Following this, the board had demanded from the government a law to punish those who disrespect holy figures and deal with the issue.

“It strongly opposes the unconstitutional demand of AIMPLB and some other organizations for an anti-blasphemy law in India,” the Indian Muslim for Secular Democracy said in a statement. “We strongly condemn the persistent efforts of some of the Hindutva hate factories which are working overtime to malign Islam and Muslims,” ​​the statement said.

However, IMSD fully supports the theory that there can be no place for a law criminalizing blasphemy in a secular state. It said that IMSD’s statement has been supported by around 400 “secular Indians”. Akhtar, Shah, actor Shabana Azmi, filmmaker Anand Patwardhan and film writer Anjum Rajabali are among those who signed the statement.

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