Bill criminalising triple talaq introduced in Lok Sabha

New Delhi, December 28 : Amid protest by several Opposition members, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday introduced a Bill in the Lok Sabha to make instant triple talaq illegal with a provision of a jail term of three years for the husband.
Rejecting the protest by Opposition benches and the criticism of its provisions, Prasad said it was a “historic day”, as he also asked if opposing members are with “hapless Muslim daughters and sisters”.Claiming that the proposed law, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, is “not about any religion or community”, the law minister insisted that the practice of instant triple talaq has continued despite the Supreme Court order terming it void.
“Even today such an incident took place in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh,” he informed, adding that the law is about justice and respect for women. Countering the arguments put forward by dissenting members belonging to RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League, Prasad said, Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not. The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or ‘talaq-e-biddat’ and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking “subsistence allowance” for herself and her minor children.