NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Thursday passed the bill which criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq, with the government rejecting the contention that it was aimed at targeting a particular community.
The opposition, which had been demanding that the bill be referred to a ‘joint select committee’, staged a walkout when its demand was rejected by the government. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2018 was passed by the Lower House with 245 voting in favour and 11 opposing the legislation.
The bill will now go to Rajya Sabha for approval.
Piloting the bill, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that there should be no politics on the bill, stressing that it was not against any particular community.
“Don’t weigh the bill on the scales of politics. The bill is about humanity and justice,” he said, urging lawmakers of different parties to speak in one voice to support the legislation. He regretted that opposition parties were creating hurdles in its passage due to “vote bank politics”.
The bill, which seeks to replace an ordinance promulgated in September prohibiting divorce by pronouncing “talaq” by the husband, was passed after over four-hour discussion that saw some heated exchanges between the opposition and treasury benches.
The bill was introduced in Lok Sabha on December 17.
The bill makes instant triple talaq a cognizable offence, attracting up to three years’ imprisonment with a fine.
The offence will be cognizable if information relating to the offence is given by the married woman against whom talaq has been pronounced or any person related to her by blood or marriage. (Agencies)
