Lok Sabha passes Triple Talaq Bill, all amendments rejected

The Bill will now be tabled in Rajya Sabha.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad  tabled  the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 in the Lok Sabha earlier in the day, which  criminalises  the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims.

He said the Bill upholds the right of Muslim women.

The Lok Sabha passed the Bill with rejection of a string of amendments moved by  Asaduddin Owaisi from the AIMIM and Bhartruhari Mahtab from the BJD.

MPs from the RJD, AIMIM, BJD, AIADMK and All India Muslim League opposed the Bill.

They even called it arbitrary in nature.

However, the Bill will face the real test in Rajya Sabha where the BJP government lacks majority.

Earlier on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a consensus in passage of the Bill on making instant triple talaq a punishable offence.

However, a section of the opposition, including the AIADMK and BJD opposed the Bill.

According to reports, the ruling  BJP had issued a whip in the lower House, asking all of its members to be present  to ensure the smooth passage to the Bill for enactment, a debate on which will take place till Friday.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 criminalises instant triple talaq and imposes a prison term of up to three years and fine on husbands who violate the law.

It also seeks to provide alimony for the woman on whom instant triple talaq has been pronounced and grant her the custody of her children.

In August, three of five judges of a Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court said the practice of saying “talaq” three times in one go – sometimes even over email and WhatsApp – violated women’s right to equality and was not integral to Islam.