TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ A fresh bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq was introduced in the Lok Sabha today. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, which has been listed in the Lok Sabha’s agenda for Friday, will replace an ordinance issued in February by the previous BJP-led NDA government.
With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month, the previous bill had lapsed as it was pending in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill, which proposes to make the practice of instant triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) a penal offence, had faced objections from the opposition parties which claimed that jail term for a man for divorcing his wife was legally untenable.
As soon as the bill was introduced, Shashi Tharoor said that he is against instant Talaq but is opposed to making it a criminal offence. He adds that the scope of the bill should be extended to women of all communities and religion. Following Tharoor, Asaduddin Owaisi, MP from Hyderabad, also opposed the bill. He also said it violates Article 14 and 15 of the Constitution. He added that the government does not care about Muslim women and brought up the Sabrimala issue to question the government on women rights.