Rajya Sabha adjourned amid uproar over Triple Talaq bill

Amid pandemonium over the triple talaq bill, which was tabled by the Centre on Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow.

The bill is likely to be deferred to the next parliament session as the opposition build up pressure on sending the bill to a select committee.

Today's debate saw a heated exchanges between different members. Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma moved a notice stating that the triple talaq bill be referred to a Select Committee of Rajya Sabha. He also proposed names of members who could be part of the committee.

Leader of House Arun Jaitley accuses Congress of trying to sabotage the Triple Talaq Bill. He also questions motion moved by Anand Sharma on technical grounds. "Motion moved by Anand Sharma not valid".

Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Derek O'Brien and BJP leader Smriti Irani engaged in a verbal slugfest over the same.

"It is clear that this side (opposition) wants to empower women, and you (government) stand exposed," O'Brien declared.

This elicited a fiery reaction from Smriti Irani, who leapt to her feet and demanded that opposition parties should put an end to their disruptive ways and engage in consensus-building discussion over the triple talaq bill.

"Absolutely not, if you seriously want to empower women then have a discussion now," the BJP MP fired back.

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad suggested that the government should include a provision in the bill that it would take care of the financial needs of divorced Muslim women and their children.

"We are in favour of the bill but we are opposed to the provision of imprisonment of the husbands. Who will take care of the family? Who is going to take care of the expenses of children... Government is not worried about that. Let the government say it will take care," he said.

Deputy chairman P J Kurien adjourned the house amid bedlam as the government and the opposition couldn't come to a consensus on the contentious bill.

The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha last week with the support of opposition parties including Congress.

The Grand Old party has claimed that 17 parties, including AIADMK, BJD, TMC and NDA ally TDP, are in favour of sending it to the panel.

Currently, National Democratic Alliance has 82 MPs, including 57 MPS of BJP and Opposition Parties have 163 MPs in the Upper House.

OneIndia News