The Triple Talaq Bill, which was tabled in the Lok Sabha by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, was met with vehement opposition from leaders of the opposition parties. The bill introduced in Parliament proposes a three-year jail term for a man divorcing his wife through triple talaq.
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AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi said that the triple talaq bill was anti-Islam, The Indian Express reported. "Why is there no law against mob lynching? When a Muslim woman was raped in Muzzaffarnagar, no conviction was held. If you have any respect for women, send all women BJP MP in a special aircraft to Sabarimala," he said, reported the publication.
Even NDA allies had come out against the bill. Strongly objecting to the contentious bill that would make the practice of instant triple talaq illegal, NDA ally JD(U) Thursday said it will create a lack of trust in the society and walked out of the House.
Stating his party does not support the bill, Rajiv Ranjan Singh told the Lok Sabha that it will "create a lack of trust in the mind of the society."
He was of the view that government should do all that is necessary to create "awareness among the people of this community (minority)." This society does run with strict laws, he said, adding that everyone is run by customs.
"That society also has its own customs," Singh said, adding the government has taken this "historic" step to put an end to their customs.
The legal journey
The Supreme Court, in 2017, had dubbed the process of triple talaq unconstitutional. The verdict was passed by a bench of five judges, each from a different faith—Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar (Sikh), U.U. Lalit (Hindu), Kurian Joseph (Christian), R.F. Nariman (Zoroastrian) and S. Abdul Nazeer (Muslim). Here is a brief timeline of the legal process: On October 16, 2015, while hearing a different case, a two-judge bench had requested the chief justice to suo motu set up a bench to examine discrimination against Muslim women, especially in divorce.
The case picked up, with many Muslim women filing petitions. On February 5, 2016, SC asked Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi to assist it on the pleas challenging the constitutional validity of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy. Later in March, the SC asked the Centre to file a copy of the high-level panel on 'Women and the law: An assessment of family laws with focus on laws relating to marriage, divorce, custody, inheritance and succession'. On May 17, 2017, the SC asked the AIMPLB if it is possible to give women the right to decline instant triple talaq. On May 18, 2017, the AIMPLB informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to issue an advisory to qazis to give an option to Muslim women to opt out of instant triple talaq before giving consent for nikaah (marriage).
-Inputs from PTI