Triple Talaq ordinance: JD(U) calls for political consensus

Patna, Sep 19: The JD(U), an ally of the BJP, Wednesday suggested that a political consensus should be reached taking all sections of the society along on the issue of triple talaq.

However, the Union government's decision to bring an ordinance on triple talaq drew sharp criticism from the opposition RJD which slammed the move as an example of "dog-whistle politics".

"There should be efforts to take all sections of the society along and reach a political consensus," RCP Singh, Janata Dal (United) national general secretary and Rajya Sabha member said.

"At present it is just an ordinance passed by the Union cabinet. If a bill is brought on the issue in Parliament, our party will voice its opinion more vocally", Singh, who is JD(U) parliamentary party leader, said.

Another senior party leader K C Tyagi said, "An ordinance becomes binding on the people. Decisions on such issues should be taken with the consent of the section of the society. Issues concerning minorities are very sensitive."

"This was the opinion Nitish Kumar had himself expressed in his letter to the Law Commission", Tyagi, JD(U) national general secretary and chief spokesman told PTI over the phone.

Many see JD(U)'s guarded response to the issue of triple talaq because of the support it enjoys from minority muslims. The RJD, which has been an opponent of the BJP all through, came down heavily on the Centre's move, alleging that it was an example of the saffron party's dog-whistle politics.

"We all knew that for the BJP, triple talaq posture is in sync with their dog-whistle politics. The opposition was keen that a socially transformative legislation for gender justice should evolve out of several suggestions offered by various parties. Instead, they took the ordinance route proving what we always knew that their intention and actions never match," RJD national spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha said.

Headed by Lalu Prasad, the RJD is an alliance partner of the Congress. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had slammed the RJD while announcing the decision on the ordinance in the national cabinet. The RJD has rubbished the cabinet's nod as a political football.

PTI