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Modi government introduces Triple talaq Bill in Lok Sabha amid crticitism

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7 years ago

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Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Modi government introduced a fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq in the Lok Sabha today (Friday, June 21) as the previous Bill got stalled in Rajya Sabha and lapsed with the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, will replace an ordinance issued in February by the previous BJP-led NDA government. In absence of legislation, the government had brought in the Ordinance to make instant “triple talaq” illegal, which was renewed twice. The new bill is a copy of the ordinance.

Opposition members demanded that the Bill should not be introduced before wider consultation involving parties from the other side of the treasury bench. In the view of opposition, Speaker Om Birla called for a voice vote and ruled that the Bill could be introduced in the Lok Sabha. But then the Opposition members insisted on division of votes. The Bill was finally tabled in the Lok Sabha with 186 votes in favour and 78 against introduction of the legislation.

The main objection of the Opposition is to the provision in the Bill to make the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) a penal offence. They argued that jail term for a man for divorcing his wife was legally untenable. Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq is illegal, void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.

Marriage or divorce is a civil matter and their objection is to bringing in criminal provisions.

The government has included certain safeguards in it such as adding a provision for bail for the accused during trial so that the proposed law could not be misused.

The government countered the opposition’s claim that it was a “discriminatory” bill by pointing out that the Supreme Court’s order banning the controversial Islamic practice needs to be followed up with a strong law. “…There have been triple talaqs since 2017 even after the judgement. What should the women do? Hang the judgement on the wall?” Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said after introducing the bill in the Lok Sabha.

Union Law & Justice Minister & BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, after Triple Talaq Bill 2019 introduced in Lok Sabha, said: “It is the work of Parliament to enact a law. The interpretation of the law should be left to the courts.”

“People have chosen us to make laws. It is our work to make laws. Law is to give justice to the victims of triple talaq,” he said.

He added that the Bill will protect the rights of Muslim women. “It is about justice & empowerment of women,” he said, reported news agency ANI. “This issue is not related to religion or prayer or class but of justice for women, of a woman’s dignity”, he said.

Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM lawmaker, opposed the triple talaq bill, calling it discriminatory. Besides, he asked, if the husband is jailed (under the provisions of the law), who will pay maintenance to the woman.

Owaisi also took a dig at the BJP, saying the party has so much affection for Muslim women but is opposed to rights of Hindu women to enter Kerala’s Sabarimala Temple in Kerala. He went on to say that the bill violates constitutional rights as it stipulates three-year jail term for Muslim men while non-Muslim men get only one year of jail term for a similar offence, he said.

Soon after the minister tabled the bill, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, stood up to speak on the issue and listed the reasons for his opposition to the bill.

Tharoor who said even as he is against instant talaq, he is opposed to considering a civil offence as a criminal offence. He suggested the scope of the Bill should be extended to women of all communities.

Terming the bill a “class legislation”, Tharoor said abandoning of women by their husbands is not unique to Muslim community and is equally prevalent among other communities. So, why not make a universal law to provide protection to all women, he argued.

“Men from other religions also desert their wives,” Tharoor said. “There is no procedural safeguards in the bill, refer it to a standing committee… it is a discriminatory bill. The bill does nothing to improve the status of Muslim women,” he said.

Only 187 members were present to vote in the Lok Sabha and many absentees were from the treasury benches, said a NDTV report. Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, which didn’t want to be seen as opposing the bill, abstained from voting. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s YSR Congress Party also abstained. Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, an ally of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), has said the party will not back the “triple talaq” bill. Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal is not keen on supporting the bill.

Most opposition parties, including the Congress, were opposed to stringent provisions like jail term for the husband. They contended that a penal provision cannot be introduced in a domestic issue that’s essentially civil in nature and that the bill, in its current form, would end up victimising the Muslims.

The government argues that the bill would stop victimisation of the women, and give them equal rights. The proposed law is based on gender equality and is part of the government’s philosophy of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas,” Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said last week.

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Ajit Pawar’s son seeks detailed probe into Baramati plane crash

Jay Pawar has demanded a comprehensive probe and action against the aviation firm after the Baramati plane crash that killed Ajit Pawar and four others.

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1 week ago

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February 19, 2026

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Jay Pawar, the younger son of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, has called for a comprehensive and impartial investigation into the plane crash near Baramati that claimed his father’s life along with four others on January 28.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Jay Pawar raised concerns over what he described as “possible serious lapses” that may have led to the fatal accident. He asserted that the aircraft’s black box is not easily destroyed and stressed that people of Maharashtra deserve to know the complete truth behind the crash.

Demand for action against aviation company

The ill-fated Learjet 45XR aircraft was operated by VSR Ventures Private Limited. Jay Pawar urged authorities to conduct a detailed probe into the firm’s operations and sought a ban on the aviation company pending investigation.

“A detailed investigation of possible serious lapses and irregularities of the aircraft firm should be done in a detailed and impartial manner,” he said.

The crash occurred near the Baramati airstrip, resulting in the deaths of Ajit Pawar and four others.

Call for CBI probe and sabotage allegations

Jay Pawar’s statement came a day after Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar and leaders from the Nationalist Congress Party met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to demand a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the accident.

Separately, NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar alleged there was reason to suspect sabotage in the crash and called for a multi-agency investigation involving experts.

During a press conference last week, Rohit Pawar also questioned the past record of Captain Sumit Kapoor, who was piloting the aircraft on the day of the crash. He referred to the pilot’s previous three-year suspension for alcohol consumption.

AAIB seeking support to retrieve CVR data

The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is conducting a detailed probe into the crash. According to the agency, special technical assistance has been sought to retrieve data from the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) of the Learjet 45 aircraft involved in the accident.

The investigation is ongoing.

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PM Modi sends congratulatory letter to Tarique Rahman after swearing-in

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla handed over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory letter to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman following his swearing-in and extended an invitation to visit India.

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1 week ago

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February 17, 2026

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Tarique Rehman

Om Birla on Tuesday met Tarique Rahman and delivered a letter from Narendra Modi, congratulating him on assuming office and inviting him to visit India.

The meeting took place shortly after Rahman was sworn in as Bangladesh’s Prime Minister following his party’s victory in the recently concluded parliamentary elections.

According to details shared, Birla also spoke to Rahman over the phone to personally convey PM Modi’s congratulations.

In his letter, PM Modi extended his greetings to Rahman on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s win in the parliamentary elections and on his appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh.

“I extend my warmest congratulations to you on the victory of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party at the just-concluded parliamentary elections in Bangladesh and on your appointment as the next Prime Minister of Bangladesh,” the letter read.

The communication also included an invitation for the newly sworn-in leader to visit India.

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Navjot Kaur Sidhu says Rahul Gandhi disconnected from ground realities

Navjot Kaur Sidhu criticises Rahul Gandhi after exiting Congress, alleging corruption in the Punjab unit and predicting defeat in upcoming state elections.

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1 week ago

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February 17, 2026

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Rahul-Gandhi

Former Congress leader Navjot Kaur Sidhu has launched a sharp attack on Rahul Gandhi soon after her exit from the party, accusing him of being detached from ground realities and failing to address concerns within the Punjab unit.

Speaking to reporters in Coimbatore, Sidhu said that Gandhi, who serves as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has not worked at the grassroots level and is unaware of what is happening within the party in Punjab. She stressed that understanding “ground zero” realities is crucial for leadership and said living in a “dream world” would not help the party.

Drawing a comparison with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sidhu said that while Gandhi speaks well and “talks sense”, his actions do not align with his words. She claimed there is nothing personally against the Prime Minister and challenged critics to find evidence of wrongdoing against him.

Sidhu also alleged widespread corruption within the Punjab Congress leadership. She claimed she sought an appointment with Gandhi for eight months to inform him about what she described as “injustice” and internal damage to the party. According to her, party tickets had already been sold, and she warned that Congress is likely to lose the state polls next year if corrective measures are not taken.

In a direct message to Gandhi, she said that if he is unaware of developments within his own party, then he does not deserve the leadership position. She further alleged that corrupt individuals surround him while honest leaders are ignored.

Sidhu claimed that she and her family were promised key roles, including a deputy chief minister post with seven departments and a Member of Parliament position for her, but were ultimately given nothing.

Last week, Congress general secretary in charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, announced that Sidhu had been expelled from the party. The announcement followed her own declaration that she had quit.

The 62-year-old leader was earlier associated with the BJP and served as an MLA from 2012 to 2016 before joining Congress. Recently, she levelled serious allegations against Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, claiming that ₹500 crore was being demanded in exchange for the Chief Minister’s post if the party wins the upcoming elections. She was suspended after making those remarks.

With Punjab heading towards elections next year, her allegations add to the turbulence within the state unit of the Congress.

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