NEW DELHI, July 26 (NNN-BSS) – The Indian Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliamentr) ssed “The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2019”, popularly known as the “triple talaq” bill that declares the practice of instant “triple talaq’ illegal and punishable offence with up to three years in jail for the husband.
Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the bill, which was later passed in voice votes in Lok Sabha after heated debates among the treasury and opposition bench members throughout the day.
Members of some opposition parties including Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United walked out during the debate saying that the new law would create a ‘lack of trust’ in society.
They demanded that the bill to be referred to a select committee and have questioned the government’s motive in introducing the bill.
Placing the bill, the union law minister said the passage of the bill in the House is crucial as the practice of triple talaq was not stopped in society yet although the Supreme Court in an order in two years back declared it illegal.
He said the bill would help achieve gender equality and justice and reduce practice of triple talaq.
In this connection, he referred to newspaper reports saying that 574 cases of ‘talaq-e-biddat’ had been reported by the media since January 2017.
Ravi Shankar Prasad said the bill was about gender justice. “Twenty Muslim countries in the world, including Pakistan and Malaysia, have banned the triple talaq. Why can’t a secular India do it?”
The “triple talaq” bill will now have to clear the Rajya Sabha (Upper House) hurdle before it can become a law.
The “triple talaq” ban is currently being enforced through an ordinance since a bill similar to the present one couldn’t be passed in the Upper House during the tenure of the 16th Lok Sabha. — NNN-BSS
