Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq bill; Amit Shah asks Congress to apologise for doing 'injustice' to Muslim women

This comes after Congress and AIADMK staged a walk-out from the parliament over the government not accepting their demand to refer the bill to a joint select committee of the Parliament.

BJP president Amit Shah (PTI/ File)

New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the much debated Triple Talaq bill which protects Muslim women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) and makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat a criminal offence, with a jail term of up to three years with a fine. Soon after the lower house of the parliament passed triple talaq bill with 245 votes, Bharatiya Janta Party Amit Shah has sought an apology from Congress for not supporting the bill. “Congress and other parties must apologise for years of injustice to Muslim women”Shah said on Twitter. He also congratulated PM Modi and his government for having passed the bill, which is now going to be presented in Rajya Sabha. This comes after Congress and AIADMK staged a walk-out from the parliament over the government not accepting their demand to refer the bill to a joint select committee of the Parliament. The debate on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which was tabled by Prasad last week, began in Lok Sabha amidst exchange of barbs between the treasury benches and the Opposition. With opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress demanding that the bill be sent to a select committee for a greater scrutiny, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who piloted the bill, said the government has already taken note of concerns expressed by members earlier and amended the bill accordingly. Prasad told the Lok Sabha that the bill has made the offence compoundable, meaning that the case can be withdrawn if the man and his estranged wife reach a compromise, and that only the wife and her close relatives can file an FIR, ruling out the law's misuse. "Don't weigh the bill on the scales of politics. The bill is about Insaaniyat aur insaaf (humanity and justice)," he said, urging lawmakers of different parties to speak in one voice to support the legislation.