New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday gave its nod to a Bill which seeks to penalise the practice of instant triple talaq by a voice vote. Several amendments moved by the opposition were defeated.
The clause in the Bill, which criminalises the practice with a jail term of up to three years for the husband, was passed by a division of 302 in favour and 78 against.
Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had defended the Bill, saying despite the Supreme Court striking down the practice as illegal and unconstitutional, several hundred cases have been reported.
Replying to the debate on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha, he questioned the opposition to the jail term for a man who gives instant triple talaq. “When Hindus and Muslims are jailed under dowry law or Domestic Violence Act, no one objects. What is the objection in penalising the practice?” he said.
Watch: Here’s Why the Triple Talaq Bill Does Nothing for the Rights of Women
Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury opposed the penal provision ahead of the voting, saying the Supreme Court never asked the government to introduce penal provisions. “Present laws are sufficient,” he said.
Naqvi hits out at Congress
Hitting out at the Congress for opposing the Bill, Union minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Thursday said the country was suffering because of the “sin” committed by the Congress in 1986.
“On May 5, 1986 there was a very important verdict of Supreme Court on the rights of Muslim women. In this house……(in) 1986 in order to make this verdict ineffective the government at that time came out with a law,” Naqvi said, intervening in the debate.
The Bill, he said, is a constitutional commitment and aims at giving rights to the Muslim women. “I would appeal that all people should support the Bill without any pressure,” he added.
“This nation runs with constitution. Our nation is not run by shariat and religious law. Neither our nation is run by any religion, be it Muslim, Hindu….In Constitution, gender equality has been talked about time and again. Can we forget and ignore it,” the minister questioned.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. Credit: PIB
The Trinamool Congress walked out of the proceedings ahead of voting, saying it was opposed to the draft law. Participating in the discussion on the Bill, Sudip Bandyopadhyay (Trinamool Congress) said: “We are in favour of empowerment of women,” and added that the provision of imprisonment was “irrational”. This provision of imprisonment would lead to injustice and would deteriorate the life of women and should be referred to a Joint Select Committee, he said.
Also Read: Triple Talaq: Why Just Muslims, Let’s Criminalise the Abandonment of All Wives
YSR Congress Party’s Midhun Reddy was of the view that the three-year jail term was “not required”.
The DMK’s Kanimozhi also opposed the provision, saying the need of the hour is to frame laws to curb lynchings and caste-based “honour killings”.
NDA ally JD(U) also opposes provision
Strongly objecting the contentious Bill, NDA ally JD(U) said it will create a lack of trust in society and walked out of the house. Stating his party does not support the Bill, Rajiv Ranjan Singh was of the view that the government should do all that is necessary to create “awareness among the people” about the practice.
Citing the example of government’s Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Singh said the need of the hour is that in haste no law should be made and rather awareness should be created.
Several laws made earlier were being misused, Singh said adding “if the law is made like this it would be misued.”
“We boycott the Bill,” he said and walked out of the proceedings of the House.
(With PTI inputs)