Strong words and views flew at an afternoon press conference on Thursday held at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh at Azad Maidan. Activists and scholars from the self-explanatory Indian Muslims for Secular Democracy (IMSD) slammed the Muslim Personal Law Board's (MPLB) "anti-women, un-Quranic and unconstitutional views" with reference to nikah halala and other issues borne out of a patriarchal self-serving mindset, said the four speakers on the dais.

Target ulemas
The progressive IMSD army took aim at ulemas who, they said collectively, "claim to be defending Islam. In fact, they are perpetuating patriarchy. In the process, they are helping in the demonising of Islam and Muslims."