The controversial bill to ban ‘Triple Talaq’ passed in the Upper House namely the Rajya Sabha. In the previous appearance the bill was rejected, but on Tuesday the opposition-dominated house had series of walkouts which brought down the majority mark for voting.
The bill, which sought to end the practice of Muslim men instantly divorcing their wives by uttering the word “talaq” thrice. Several parties including Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, AIADMK and K Chandrashekar Rao’s Telangana Rashtra Samithi opposed it.
AIADMK and Nitish Kumar’s party walked out, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and Mehbooba Mufti’s PDP abstained from voting. 21 members remained absent giving the vote a miss and a free hand to the government to pass the bill.
The bill was passed, with 99 votes in its favour and 84 against. Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who tabled the bill, said, “Today is a historic day. Both the Houses have given justice to the Muslim women. This is the beginning of a transforming India.”
Several opposition parties demanded that the bill be sent to a select committee for scrutiny. Many were against the provision for a three-year jail term for erring husbands and claimed that the proposed law will be misused to victimise Muslims.However, the government maintained that the Triple Talaq bill was a step towards ensuring gender equality and justice and that the opposition parties were politicising the issue.
Source : Various