Lok Sabha to take up Triple Talaq Bill today; Govt keen on getting it passed

The discussion could not be held as the House was disputed by the opposition which has been demanding a JPC on the Rafale deal.

New Delhi, Dec 27: The BJP-led Centre would push for Triple Talaq Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday when the Lower House resumes after the Christmas break. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday issued a whip to its Lok Sabha MPs asking them to be present today.

Last week, the BJP-led government had tabled the Triple Talaq Bill, which needs legislative approval after being promulgated as an ordinance in September, in the Lok Sabha. The discussion could not be held as the House was disputed by the opposition which has been demanding a JPC on the Rafale deal.

The whip followed Union minister Narendra Singh Tomar's announcement that the central government would push the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, that seeks to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among a section of Muslims.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 22 said the Centre was committed to make a law on triple talaq despite facing "hurdles" from "hardliners" and opposition parties. He also asserted that women were the biggest beneficiaries of the many schemes launched by his government.

Congress member Shashi Tharoor had opposed the bill claiming it is targetted at a particular religion and hence unconstitutional.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 seeks to make the practice of instant triple talaq a penal offence. On September 19, the Union Cabinet had passed the ordinance to amend provisions of the Triple Talaq Bill. It was later signed by President Ram Nath Kovind. In August 2017, a five-judge constitution bench had set aside the centuries-old practice of instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat, through which Muslim men divorce their wives by uttering "talaq" three times in quick succession.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights of Marriage) Ordinance 2018 states that instant triple talaq has been made illegal and void, and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband. To prevent any misuse of the law, the government had also included certain safeguards, such as a provision of bail for the accused before trial.