LS passes triple talaq bill, govt calls it historic

The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children.

A bill criminalising triple talaq was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Photo: LS TV

NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed the bill making the practice of instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill was passed by the Lower House by voice vote. The bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha amid protests from the opposition objecting to its introduction, and an assurance from Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad that "it was not about religion but about justice and respect for women". The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha for passage before it is forwarded to the President for signing it into law. Given the Congress's stated support, the bill is likely to be passed by the Rajya Sabha, where the government lacks majority. However, the main opposition party may again insist on referring the legislation to the Standing Committee. All that happened on Thursday:

• Triple talaq bill not give justice to Muslim women but will lead to more injustice: Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM on Triple Talaq bill passed in Lok Sabha
• It's a historic day, we are confident that it will be passed in Rajya Sabha as well: Home Minister Rajnath Singh #TripleTalaqBill
•  The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha
• Lok Sabha passes  Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote

• Two amendments moved by Asaduddin Owaisi and one by BJD's Bhartruhari Mahtab negated in Lok Sabha
• Lok Sabha is now voting on amendments.

#TripleTalaqBill: Law is not for 'votes' but for humanity, says RS Prasad in #LokSabha https://t.co/JQJlKZeiOk

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) December 28, 2017

• What is the credibility of All India Muslim Personal Law Board? Who chose them to be community representatives? : Union Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar in Lok Sabha
• This slogan 'Islam khatre mein hai' was used before independence to divide India and is now being used to divide society, poison is being spread: MJ Akbar,Union Minister in Lok Sabha
• Will the govt create a corpus to provide maintenance to divorced women waiting for compensation?: Sushmita Dev, Congress in Lok Sabha
• Like SC said dowry law was being misused and instant arrest must not be done, can we be confident that same will not be done in triple talaq cases? I think we need to discuss this: Supriya Sule, NCP in Lok Sabha
• I thank Kharge ji for supporting the Govt on Triple talaq bill , whatever suggestions they have they should tell us here, if fine we can incorporate them in the law: Ravi Shankar Prasad,Law Minister in Lok Sabha.
• All of us are supporting this bill, but there are certain lacunae which should and can be rectified in the standing committee,we can sit together and sort out in a time bound manner: Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress in Lok Sabha
• When Islamic countries have regulated provisions of Triple talaq, then why can't we a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in Sharia: RS Prasad, Law Minister in Lok Sabha
• About 100 cases of triple talaq have come to light after Supreme Court's verdict: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha

• We must understand pain of Muslim women. Today morning I read news that a woman in Rampur was given talaq by her husband just because she woke up late: RS Prasad, Law Minister in Lok Sabha
• Soon after Prasad moved the bill for introduction, opposition members raised objections.
• RJD leader Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav said the provision for three year imprisonment was unfair, and said it could disturb the social fabric.
• AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said the Bill violated the fundamental rights and lacked "basic legal coherence". He also questioned the need to create another law for this, while there was an existing law on domestic violence.
• "There is absence of consistency with the existing legal framework. The bill says the husband will be sent to jail, and it also says he will have to pay allowance... How can a person in jail pay allowances," Owaisi said referring to the provision that a woman given triple talaq will have the right to seek maintenance.

• Owaisi said not enough consultation was done on the Bill, and added: "This will be injustice to Muslim women... Make a law where the 20 lakh women from other religions, who have been abandoned, which also includes our Bhabhi in Gujarat, they should be given justice".
• IUML MP E.T. Mohammed Basheer said it was in violation of Article 25 of the Constitution that provides for freedom of practicing and propagating religion.
• BJD leader Bhartruhari Mahtab said there were many internal contradictions in the Bill.
• Prasad said: "This law is not about religion, it is about gender justice, the dignity and pride of a woman. The Supreme Court called it illegal, but the practice still prevails. Are not the basic rights of our sisters a part of the basic structure of Constitution".
• Speaking outside Parliament, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala later said the party supported the Bill, adding that there was a need to strengthen the law.
• "The party supports the law of banning instant triple talaq and we believe that there is a dire need to strengthen this law. We have certain suggestions to solidify this law in order to protect the rights of these women," he said.
• In a written reply to the Lok Sabha last week, Prasad had said that there have been 66 cases of triple talaq in the country since August when the Supreme Court judgment termed the practice as "unconstitutional".

(With inputs from agencies)