Lok Sabha likely to take up Triple Talaq Bill today, BJP issues whip

New Delhi, July 24: The contentious Triple Talaq Bill has been listed for consideration and discussion in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The ruling BJP has issued a whip to its MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House.

The bill, which criminalises instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for the guilty, was the first draft legislation tabled by the Narendra Modi government in this first session after it took oath of office for a second term in May.

There is already an ordinance in place which will lapse if the Bill does not get passed by both Houses and gets the President's assent within this session. The proposed legislation, which seeks to criminalise instant triple talaq among Muslims, has been controversial ever since its inception following a SC judgement in 2017.

The Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha last month amidst Opposition protests but was not taken up for discussion and passage. While the government had won a vote in the Lok Sabha on whether it could be tabled and, given its majority in the House, the Bill will sail through the Lower House - it was introduced following a vote, with 186 members supporting and 74 opposing it - but it is in the Rajya Sabha where things may get slightly complicated.

Several opposition parties have bitterly opposed it but the government has asserted that the bill is a step towards gender equality and justice.

The Narendra Modi government is keen to get parliamentary approval for the triple talaq bill but there is no certainty that it will clear the Rajya Sabha hurdle. Opposition parties and several leaders from the Muslim community are sticking to their stand against the bill, contending there is no need for it as the instant triple talaq has been banned by the Supreme Court.