'Sharia law over Indian constitution'? Why Jharkhand minister's remarks spark political debate

A minister from India's Jharkhand landed in hot water after saying that the Islamic Sharia law is more important than the Indian constitution. The minister, Hafizul Hassan, triggered massive outrage from the public and political groups like BJP, after his statement: "Shariat hamare liye bada hai. Hum Quran seene mein rakhte hain aur haath me samvidhaan. Islam mein Shariat ko pehle pakdenge fir samvidhaan ko." (Sharia is greater for me. I keep the Quran (Islam's holy book) near to my heart and the Indian constitution in my hand. As per Islam, Sharia if first then is the Indian constitution).

As his remarks were aired on a news channel, the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back at the minister. But when he was asked to clarify his statement, the state's minority welfare minister took a U-turn.

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"I had said that Shariat mere seene mein hain par Babasaheb ka samvidhaan haath me hai (Shariat is there in my heart, but Babasaheb's Constitution is in my hands). Both the Constitution and Shariat are equally important," the minister said on Monday (April 14) after facing the backlash.

"You have seen statues of Babasaheb holding the Constitution in his hand. We come from financially backward communities. He gave reservations to us and that's why we have been ahead," the minister added.

'Not I but we'?

Talking to the news agency ANI, Hassan said, "I did not say 'main' (I), I said 'hum' (we). Watch the full statement. I am a minister, 'hum' includes everyone. A minister believes in the Constitution and functions in accordance. Shariat too has its own place. People keep Lord Hanuman in their heart...it's a way of saying. I said something similar. Everyone is distorting it and presenting it. You will find out, when you watch the entire 5-6 minutes of what I said."

'Doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh were open'

Meanwhile, the BJP hit back at the minister's remarks. Taking to the social media platform X, the party said that Hassan's comments meant that the "doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh were open".

"For those who have Shariat in their hearts, the doors of Pakistan and Bangladesh are open. India will run only on the Constitution of Babasaheb Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar and will remain supreme," the BJP said.

'Marriage age for girls should be reduced'

Hassan is the same minister who drew massive criticism in 2021 for saying that the marriage age for girls should be reduced. He said that it should be 16, but if not possible, then keep it at 18 at least.

“Going by the growth these days, it should be decreased to 16. If not, then it should remain at 18,” Hassan had said.

(With inputs from agencies)