‘Must for gender equality, justice’: Centre on triple talaq

New Delhi, July 25: Union Law Minister Ravi Shakar Prasad on Thursday moved the controversial Triple Talaq Bill in the Lok Sabha, saying the law was a must for gender equality and justice. He said, since January 2017, 574 such cases have been reported by the media.

Despite an August 2017 Supreme Court verdict striking down the practice of instant triple talaq, women are being divorced by 'talaq-e-biddat', he said adding that since January 2017, 574 such cases have been reported by the media.

Three ordinances have so been promulgated as a similar bill moved by the previous government could not get parliamentary nod. A fresh bill was introduced by the new government in June during the ongoing Parliament session.

Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq will be illegal, void and would attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

However, the bill continues to be a subject of disagreement between the government and the Opposition, with NK Premachandran, the Revolutionary Socialist Party MP from Kerala, saying the bill was discriminatory against the Muslim community.