New Delhi, : The much talked about Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 – also known as Triple Talaq draft law – was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday after heated exchange of words and debate on the merits of the proposed legislation and also procedural matters.
The trouble started as soon as the Bill was taken up for moving and introduction as AIMIM member Asaduddin Owaisi said he would like to raise objection to the Bill.
Speaker Om Birla, however, ruled that the objections can be raised only after it is moved by the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Owaisi’s contention was supported by several opposition members including Congress floor leader Adhir Chowdhury.
Moving the Bill, Mr Prasad said the Bill is about ensuring justice for Muslim women as even after the Supreme Court ruling instant divorce of Muslim women continued.
There were as many as 229 Triple Talaq cases even after the Supreme Court order, Mr Prasad and thus maintained the new law will work as a ‘real deterrent’ to prevent recurrences of such instances of divorce.
Congress member Shashi Tharoor, N K Premachandran of RSP and Mr Owaisi objected to the introduction of the Bill saying it ‘violated’ various constitutional provisions and fundamental rights.
Mr Prasad, however, dismissed the objections and insisted that the proposed draft law – which was approved by the Lower House twice in 2017 and 2018 – was all about ‘izzat and abru’ of the Muslim women.
The Hyderabad MP Mr Owaisi went onto say at one point – “If you care so much about Muslim women, why do you not care about Hindu women in Kerala as regards the Sabarimala issue?”
Mr Owaisi maintained there should be division on the matter and later the Bill was introduced after the voting of members.
While 186 members voted in favour of introduction of the Bill, 74 members voted against it.
The Bill, which has been passed in Lok Sabha twice – in 2017 and 2018 – but stalled in the Upper House, seeks to prohibit instant divorce given to Muslim women by pronouncing the word ‘Talaq’ thrice by their husbands and to provide for matters connected therewith.
With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha, the previous bill had lapsed as it was pending in the Rajya Sabha.
Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance issued earlier this year divorcing through instant Triple Talaq is not only illegal and void but will also attract a jail term of three years for the husband.
The new bill replaces the Ordinance issued in February by the BJP-led NDA government.
UNI.
