Triple Talaq Bill To Be Tabled In Lok Sabha Today; Congress Reaches Out To Allies To Oppose Legislation

The bill criminalises triple talaq — instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for those guilty.

The Triple Talaq Bill will be taken for consideration in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.

New Delhi: The Triple Talaq Bill will be taken for consideration in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. The Modi-led government has listed the contentious Triple Talaq Bill, among other bills, for consideration and passage in the lower house today. The bill criminalises triple talaq — instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for those guilty. Asking its MPs to ensure their presence in the House, the ruling BJP has issued a three-line whip to them. Meanwhile, the Congress party has spoken to all allies of UPA and all of them have agreed to oppose Triple Talaq Bill in the lower house today. As per the report, earlier the government had not listed Triple Talaq Bill in its legislative business in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. However, it was later mentioned for discussion and passage on Thursday in the revised list of business published on late night. Watch | Modi Govt To Table Triple Talaq Bill In Lok Sabha Today The first draft legislation was tabled by the Narendra Modi government in this first session after it took oath of office for a second term in May. After winning the Lok Sabha election with an absolute majority in May this year, Prime Minister Modi’s government did not waste time and introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 in the Lok Sabha within days of start of the session. Several opposition parties have bitterly opposed it but the government has asserted that the bill is a step towards gender equality and justice. Parties like the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK have demanded that it be sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny. The BJP-led NDA enjoys strong majority in the lower house, making the passage of the bill a foregone conclusion. However, the government is set to face an uphill task in Rajya Sabha where opposition parties have numerical advantage over the treasury benches. Some of the BJP's allies, including the JD(U), have also expressed their reservation about the bill. Also Watch | Woman given triple talaq for asking 30Rs for vegetables About the proposed Triple Talaq Bill The Bill, which proposes to make the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) a penal offence, was introduced in December 2017 but was pending in the Rajya Sabha and had lapsed owing to dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month. The government had promulgated the Ordinance on triple talaq twice -- in September 2018 and in January 2019 -- as the contentious bill remained pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill makes all declaration of talaq, including in written or electronic form, to be void and illegal. It defines talaq as talaq-e-biddat or any other similar form of talaq as the practice under Muslim personal laws where pronouncement of the word "talaq" thrice in one sitting by a Muslim man to his wife results in an instant and irrevocable divorce. It makes declaration of such talaq a cognizable offence - where the accused can be arrested without a warrant, and liable to a punishment of three years imprisonment and fine. The offence, however, will be cognizable only if information relating to the offence is given by the woman against whom talaq has been declared or any person related to her by blood or marriage. A woman against whom talaq has been declared is entitled to subsistence allowance from her husband for herself and for her dependent children. The amount of the allowance will be determined by a magistrate. (With inputs from agencies)