BAREILLY: Under the Food Security Bill 2013 , new ration cards are to be issued in the name of women. But a fatwa has now been issued by Sunni Barelvi Markaz of Dargah Ala Hazrat that asks followers to keep away from the ration cards as “it depicts women as the head of families, and that is against Indian culture and Islamic law.”

Maulanas and muftis of Dargah Ala Hazrat have also asked their followers across the country not to apply for ration cards and to stage a protest demanding that the Centre bring an amendment in the act in Parliament.

According to National Food Security Act (NFSA) 2013, new ration cards will be made in the name of the eldest woman member of the family provided she is above 18 years. She will be deemed as the head of the family in the ration cards while an adult male will be treated as the head of the family only in case of a household with no female member.

The process of filling up of applications online is currently underway, with the last date for applying set for March 25, 2015 .

Sunni Barelvi Markaz of Dargah Ala Hazrat on Tuesday passed the fatwa against the new format of ration cards. “We received a query from a Kanpur-based teacher Hasfiz Fahim on the online fatwa website of our shrine in connection with ration cards, which state women as head of families. However, I passed a fatwa against it on Tuesday as the format of the ration card is against Indian culture and Islamic law. We have asked our followers to not fill or apply for ration cards,” said Mufti Mohammed Saleem Noori of Dargah Ala Hazrat’s Darul Ista from where fatwas are issued. As per Dargah Ala Hazrat, nearly 80% Sunni Barelvi Muslims across the country are followers of the shrine.

Giving the reason for the fatwa, Noori said, “In both Indian and Islamic culture, male is regarded as head of a family. The duty of male and female members is different. Women should concentrate on creating an environment of heaven in the house rather than wasting their energies in outside work, while it is the responsibility of male members to provide comfort to women from any work which is outside their houses.”

He added that some clerics will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other senior leaders and ask them to introduce an amendment to the act in Parliament.

