Triple talaq bill now moves to the next House session
FM Arun Jaitley has unequivocally rejected the "united" opposition's demand to send the government's triple talaq bill to a Parliamentary panel for review. The Parliament's winter session witnessed high drama over the bill. Considering the possibility of it being taken up, both Congress and BJP issued whips to their RS MPs to be present. So, what's in store for the bill? Read on!
What is the triple talaq bill?
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 or triple talaq bill criminalizes the practice of instant triple talaq. It proposes a three-year jail term for guilty husbands, ordering them to provide maintenance to their wives. Earlier, the bill was easily passed in the LS, where the ruling BJP is in a majority. However, as expected, it faced a roadblock in RS.
What is the issue of contention?
A Congress-led united opposition urged that the legislation be referred to a select committee. However, Jaitley argued that this demand was invalid. He referred to a 1950's ruling that the parliamentary panel should represent the House's character. This would include parties principally opposed to criminalizing triple talaq. The select committee should improve the bill and can't include "saboteurs." Thus, this demand was out.
Now, what is the government's plan?
Meanwhile, the opposition demanded that the triple talaq bill issue be resolved before moving onto other business. Considering the stalemate, the government decided to defer the bill until the Budget session. It hopes to bring other parties on the same page by then. Presently, the government is worried because its ally TDP has signed the Congress's resolution. It is also unsure of JD(U)'s position.
But, why is opposition adamant about a select committee review?
The opposition has argued that if passed, the law could be misused. Further, they have raised concerns about how a guilty man in jail would provide for his family. They have urged the government to include provisions of giving financial aid to Muslim women.
What does this mean for the triple talaq bill?
The government has accused the Congress of double standards. They said that despite supporting the bill in LS, Congress withdrew support in RS. BJP claimed to have exposed Congress's insensitivity towards rights and welfare of Muslim women. SC had directed government to legislate the issue within six months. The court's deadline will expire on February 22. The bill's fate lies in balance until then.
