As a divorcee Shah Bano filed for maintenance and knocked at the door of the highest court in the country, for justice.

Since her former husband was a lawyer, there was a fear that he could appeal to the Supreme Court against the judgments given in her favour by the lower courts.

However, the then Chief Justice of India Mr. Justice Y.V. Chandrachaud delivered a verdict in Shah Bano’s favour, but he went on to make critical and offensive remarks about Islam.

This provoked protests from many sections of the Muslim community. The Rajiv Gandhi regime pushed through an Act of Parliament denying Muslim women the right to demand maintenance from their husbands.

The All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) organized demonstrations of Muslim women against the move to deprive them of rights they had hitherto enjoyed with the Hindus.