Ordinance unlikely, govt to push for Triple Talaq bill in Budget Session

Notwithstanding the Opposition stalling the passage of the contentious triple talaq bill, the government is set to push for its nod in the Rajya Sabha in the Budget Session, asserting that it is committed to it.

Briefing reporters at the conclusion of the Monsoon Session, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar also attacked the Congress, which had not opposed the bill in Lok Sabha but voiced its strong opposition in the Upper House. Congress president Rahul Gandhi talks about woman empowerment but “runs away” when it comes to acting on this, Kumar said. In the Rajya Sabha, the Congress everyday came with an excuse to stall the bill, he alleged.

However, the government is “committed to passing the law and empower our Muslim sisters”, Kumar said. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which criminalises instant talaq and provides for up to three years of imprisonment for accused Muslim men was passed by the Lower House on December 28. A united opposition, however, stalled it in the Rajya Sabha with the Congress moving a motion that the bill should be sent to a select committee for further scrutiny, a move strongly opposed by the treasury benches.

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