English हिन्दी
Connect with us

Latest Politics News

Bill to ban instant triple talaq instroduced in Lok Sabha, Opposition protests

Published

8 years ago

on

PM Narendra Modi appeal to Opposition parties to support the Bill fails, BJP issues whip to party MPs to ensure Bill’s passage in both Houses of Parliament

Union minister for law and justice Ravi Shankar Prasad, on Thursday, introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill in the Lok Sabha, amid protests from All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi and reservations expressed by the Congress party, RJD, All India Muslim League and Biju Janata Dal.

The Bill, for whose passage Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sought support of all political parties, seeks to criminalise instant triple talaq – a practice declared as “arbitrary, unconstitutional and unislamic” by the Supreme Court in August this year – and proposes a three year jail term and fine for any Muslim husband who pronounces talaq-e-biddat against his wife.

Soon after the Supreme Court had declared instant triple talaq as illegal and, in a minority verdict urged for a legislative framework to ban the practice, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had constituted a group of ministers comprising Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad to draft a stringent law that would act as a deterrent against talaq-e-biddat.

The Bill, drafted by the committee without any consultation with Islamic organisations like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), parliamentarians who weren’t part of the group of ministers, social organisations who work with victims of instant triple talaq and other stakeholders, has evoked a mixed response from various sections of the Islamic community.

On Thursday, as Union law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Bill in the Lok Sabha, Owaisi opposed it saying: “This bill violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence. It will be an injustice to Muslim women.”

Prasad retorted, asserting that the introduction of the Bill marked a “historic day” for India and its Muslim women and said that the draft legislation “is for women’s rights and justice and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion.”

There are several aspects of the Bill and even the process adopted by the government for drafting it that the Opposition members and a section of the Islamic community are protesting against. However, its passage in the Lok Sabha is almost certain given the brute majority that the BJP enjoys in the House. The BJP has already issued a whip to all its MPs, ordering them to be present in Parliament on Thursday and Friday when the Bill is debated for consideration and passage. While getting the Bill passed by the Lok Sabha will be easy for the BJP, the Centre could face a stiff challenge in the Rajya Sabha where it lacks a majority.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal, which Prasad had reportedly reached out to earlier to seek support for the Bill, has also opposed the draft legislation. Senior BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab told the Lok Sabha that his party does not support the Bill as “it is flawed” and has “many internal contradictions”.

The “internal contradictions” in the Bill that Mahtab talked about are many. For instance, while the Bill clearly declares in Section 3 that instant triple talaq – pronounced verball, in written or electronic form – shall be “void and illegal”, Section 5 and 6 of the draft Bill go on to propose a ‘subsistence allowance’ for a Muslim woman who is victim of talaq-e-biddat and declares that she is entitled to the custody of her minor children.

These sections of the draft law, when read together, raise a peculiar contradiction believe legal experts and also politicians who are opposing the Bill.

“The most glaring internal contradiction is found in Sections 5 and 6 which discuss post-divorce issues such as a “subsistence allowance” for the woman upon whom instant talaq “is pronounced” and the “custody of her minor children” as if her marriage is dissolved by the mere pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat. How could the authors of this Bill talk of post-divorce matters ignoring the fact that the pronouncement (instant talaq) has already been voided in Section 3 and cannot result in a divorce,” wonders A Faizur Rahman, secretary-general of the Chennai-based Islamic Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought, in an article for The Hindu.

Congress leader Salman Khurshid, who had assisted the Supreme Court as amicus curiae in the instant triple talaq case, has said that he feels that his party can’t support the Bill on two grounds. First, that the government “did not discuss the contents of the Bill with Opposition members before introducing it in Parliament” and second, due to the incoherent nature of the Bill itself. “If someone is lodged in prison as a punishment for saying triple talaq, who will take care of his family,” Khurshid said, alluding to the fact that the if, as per provisions of the Bill, a Muslim husband is jailed for pronouncing talaq-e-biddat then how would he pay the ‘subsistence allowance’ to his wife as guaranteed in the draft legislation.

Congress sources told India Legal that although the party is likely to eventually support the Bill in Parliament, knowing well that it cannot afford to let the BJP take all credit for criminalises a practice that has adversely affected lakhs of Muslim women across the country, it would also vociferously protest against the Bill’s provision that makes instant triple talaq a “cognisable and non-bailable offence”.

For the Congress, the draft Bill present a piquant situation. If the Grand Old Party, which has for decades been accused of appeasing the Muslims – a community that forms a significant votebank for the Congress – opposes the Bill, it stands to be accused by the BJP of betraying Muslim women. However, if it supports the draft legislation entirely, including the provisions that criminalise talaq-e-biddat, it stands to lose support among conservative Muslim men among the Sunni community who feel that the Bill impinges on a matter of Muslim Personal Law.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

India News

Rahul Gandhi, Rajnath Singh clash in Lok Sabha over ex-Army chief’s unpublished book on Ladakh

Lok Sabha proceedings were disrupted after Rahul Gandhi cited an unpublished book by former Army chief General MM Naravane on the Ladakh stand-off, drawing objections from Rajnath Singh and other BJP leaders.

Published

23 hours ago

on

February 2, 2026

By

Rahul Gandhi

A sharp confrontation unfolded in the Lok Sabha on Monday after Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi referred to an unpublished book by former Army chief General MM Naravane while speaking on the 2020 India-China Ladakh stand-off, prompting strong objections from treasury benches.

Rahul Gandhi began his address by holding a printout of a magazine article that carried an essay on General Naravane’s yet-to-be-published memoir, Four Stars of Destiny. The reference immediately drew an intervention from Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who objected to the citation, saying quoting an unpublished book violated parliamentary rules.

Objections from treasury benches

Rajnath Singh demanded that the Leader of Opposition place the book before the House, arguing that since the memoir had not been formally published, its contents could not be cited during proceedings. The objection was echoed by Home Minister Amit Shah, who questioned how references could be made to material that was not publicly available.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju went a step further, suggesting that the House should deliberate on action against members who do not comply with the Speaker’s rulings.

As Rahul Gandhi persisted, repeatedly referring to “Chinese tanks” while discussing the eastern Ladakh situation, the opposition from BJP members intensified, leading to sustained disruptions.

Opposition support and continued disruptions

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav backed Rahul Gandhi, stating that issues concerning China were sensitive and that the Leader of Opposition should be allowed to present his views in the House.

Responding to the objections, Rahul Gandhi questioned the resistance to his remarks, asking what in the book was causing such concern. He maintained that both the article and the contents he was quoting were “100 per cent authentic.”

The Congress leader also said he had not intended to raise the issue but felt compelled to do so after BJP MP Tejasvi Surya questioned the patriotism of the Congress and its leadership.

Government, Congress trade charges

Government sources accused Rahul Gandhi of setting a dangerous precedent by citing material from an unpublished book, alleging that such references could be misused to make unverified claims on the floor of Parliament.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi defended her brother, saying he was not attempting to defame the Army and was merely reading an excerpt attributed to the former Army chief. She accused the ruling party of resisting discussion whenever uncomfortable issues surfaced.

House adjourned amid chaos

The repeated interruptions forced Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to adjourn the House till 3 pm. When proceedings resumed, similar scenes played out as Rahul Gandhi again attempted to speak on the subject, leading to further disruptions and another adjournment.

Continue Reading

India News

P Chidambaram avoids commenting on Trump’s dead economy remark echoed by Rahul Gandhi

Chidambaram stays silent on Trump’s ‘dead economy’ remark echoed by Rahul Gandhi as Congress critiques Union Budget 2026.

Published

1 day ago

on

February 2, 2026

By

P Chidambaram

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday presented her ninth consecutive union budget, stopping just short of Morarji Desai’s record of ten.

Congress MP P Chidambaram, however, avoided commenting on the ‘India is a dead economy’ statement made by former US President Donald Trump last July, which was later echoed by Rahul Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters after reviewing the budget, Chidambaram said he could not respond as he lacked the full context of Trump’s original remarks.

The comment by Trump followed India’s continued purchase of Russian crude oil, which the US had criticized as indirectly funding military action in Ukraine. Trump imposed a 25 per cent penalty tariff on Indian imports and added: “I don’t care what India does with Russia. They can take their dead economies down together, for all I care.”

Rahul Gandhi later supported the statement, saying, “He is right, everybody knows this except the Prime Minister and Finance Minister. I am glad President Trump stated a fact…”

The remark sparked a political debate, with BJP leaders criticizing Gandhi, while some Congress members, including Rajya Sabha MP Rajiv Shukla, called the statement “completely wrong.”

Ahead of the budget, Gandhi had highlighted the impact of US tariffs on small textile businesses, noting on X: “50 per cent US tariffs are badly hurting textile exporters. Job losses, shutdowns… are reality of our ‘dead economy’.”

The debate gained traction following the budget announcement, which did not offer immediate relief to middle-class taxpayers and saw markets react sharply, with the Sensex closing 1,500 points lower on Sunday.

Chidambaram, as usual, led Congress’ critique of the budget, pointing to a decrease in capital expenditure as a percentage of GDP from 3.2 per cent in FY25 to 3.1 per cent, despite the proposal of Rs 12.2 lakh crore for capex. He added, “Revenue receipts short by Rs 78,086 crore… total expenditure short by Rs 1,00,503 crore… revenue expenditure short by Rs 75,168 crore… capex was cut by Rs 1,44,376 crore… not a word was said to explain this…”

Rahul Gandhi echoed the criticism, highlighting issues such as unemployment, farmers’ distress, declining household savings, and low investment. “A budget that refuses course correction and is blind to India’s real crises,” he said on X.

Responding to the criticism, Finance Minister Sitharaman said, “With due respects, I don’t know what course correction he is referring to. The economy and its fundamentals are strong.”

Continue Reading

India News

Sharad Pawar reacts to Sunetra Pawar’s deputy chief minister appointment

Sharad Pawar clarifies that NCP did not inform the family before naming Sunetra Pawar as Maharashtra deputy chief minister.

Published

3 days ago

on

January 31, 2026

By

Sharad Pawar

Sunetra Pawar, the wife of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, is set to take on a prominent role following her husband’s tragic death in a plane crash on Wednesday morning. The decision to appoint her as Deputy Chief Minister was made solely by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar’s uncle and NCP-SP chief, revealed that the family was not consulted.

Addressing the media in Baramati, Sharad Pawar stated, “I don’t know,” when asked about being involved in the decision-making process for Ajit Pawar’s successor. He further clarified that he learned about the planned oath ceremony on Saturday evening through news reports. “We don’t know about the swearing-in. We got to know about it through the news. I have no idea about the swearing-in,” he added.

Sharad Pawar’s remarks underscore a clear separation between family matters and political decisions. The development comes after the NCP experienced a split in 2023, when Ajit Pawar broke away from his uncle’s faction to establish his own political path within Maharashtra.

This appointment positions Sunetra Pawar to carry forward her late husband’s political legacy, even as senior party leaders maintain a cautious distance from the process.

Continue Reading

Trending

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com