DMK opposes talaq Bill, wants it sent to standing committee

Joining its arch-rival AIADMK in opposing the triple talaq Bill, the DMK on Thursday opposed the Centre over the "haste" shown in getting the Bill passed in the Lok Sabha and wanted it to be referred to a standing committee.

DMK Working President MK Stalin also objected to the "stringent" three-year jail term for men and wanted to know if the BJP government at the Centre was really concerned about the welfare of Muslim women.

Stalin said the Supreme Court had only said that Parliament can enact a law on the matter and there was no mention of awarding a three-year jail term. Underlining his party's commitment to women's rights, especially Muslim women, Stalin said: "Questions arise over the government poking its nose into the Sharia law and religious practices and bringing such a Bill with haste". He added, "If the BJP government had no such intentions, it could have sent the bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee to elicit views of all party members."

Meanwhile, DMK's high-level committee, which meets for the first time after A Raja's acquittal in the 2G spectrum scam, case greeted him and Rajya Sabha MP MK Kanimozhi for proving their innocence in the court. In the resolution adopted, it was noted that the charge against the Kalaignar TV had also proved to be baseless in court.