Congress, other parties set to oppose triple talaq bill in Rajya Sabha

The bill criminalises instant divorce among the Muslim community

The contentious triple talaq bill seeking to criminalise the practice of instant divorce among Muslims is set to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha Monday, even as the Congress has said it will not allow its passage in the present form.

The ruling BJP has issued a whip in the Upper House asking its members to be present. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad will table the bill in the Upper House. The bill was cleared by the Lok Sabha - 245 voting in favour and 11 opposing it - on Thursday amid a walkout by the Opposition. Prasad had claimed the bill will find support in the Rajya Sabha, where the BJP-led NDA lacks numbers.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K C Venugopal said on Saturday the party would join hands with others to prevent the bill from getting passed in the House.

He said 10 opposition parties had openly come out against the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 when it was introduced in the Lok Sabha. Even the parties which support the government on various issues, including the AIADMK, have opposed the bill, said Venugopal, who is also a Congress floor strategist.

The opposition has questioned the stringent provisions like criminalisation of a civil wrong in the triple talaq bill, demanding that the bill, which will supersede an earlier one, be referred to a Joint Select Committee of Parliament for further scrutiny.

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever