Congress confused on triple talaq: Naqvi

New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday attacked the Congress for its “confused” stand on the Triple Talaq Bill and wanted to know why it was sad while the Muslim women were happy.

“These days a number of reforms are being brought in. The Triple Talaq Bill is one of them,” the Minority Affairs Minister told reporters here.

“The Congress takes one step forward and then 10 steps backward. The party is confused on triple talaq,” he said. “The Muslim women are happy, but I don’t know why the Congress is sad,” he added.

The Minister’s remarks came just before the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was listed for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha, when the House meets after a three-day break.

Earlier in the day, the opposition parties met to decide their course of action on the Bill which was passed on Thursday by the Lok Sabha, where the government has a clear majority.

The Congress and some other parties demanded in the Lok Sabha that the Bill should be sent to the Standing Committee but the government rejected their demand.

The amendments to the bill moved by the opposition too, were rejected.

The government lacks a majority in the upper House and is making efforts for the bill’s smooth passage by reaching out to opposition parties.