Parliament date with Triple Talaq Bill today; BJP issues whip

The Parliament is expected to have a heated debate on the Triple Talaq Bill on Thursday, when it resumes work after Christmas holidays. The BJP, in an effort to push the Bill, has issued a whip to its members to ensure their presence in the Lok Sabha when it brings up the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, commonly known as the Triple Talaq Bill.

The BJP made the Triple Talaq issue as its poll plank and claimed that because of this progressive step, Muslim women voted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The freshly-drafted bill, which was introduced on December 17, would supersede an earlier bill that the government had managed to pass in the Lok Sabha in December last year. The government, however, was forced to take the ordinance route after it failed to ensure passage of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

While the previous Bill sought to make instant divorce a punishable, cognisable and a non-bailable offence, the revised bill includes bail provisions as part of attempts to soften some aspects of the proposed law.

The House seems to be heading for a heated debate before voting, as Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has criticised the fresh bill, claiming that it has no procedural safeguards to prevent its misuse. He also said that the bill "conflates civil law with criminal law by criminalising a wrong form of divorce and by criminalising an act which is already legally null and void".

With the Lok Sabha failing to function properly due to disruptions ever since the Winter Session began on December 11, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on last Friday had chaired a meeting of the Rules Committee during which, a law to punish erring members with disciplinary action was favoured.

In a meeting before Christmas holiday on Friday, while referring to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge's comments that his party was ready to discuss the instant Triple Talaq Bill on December 27, Speaker Sumitra Mahajan had said, "I believe that on 27th the House will function smoothly."

Cong’s Opposition

The House seems to be heading for a heated debate before voting, as Congress leader Shashi Tharoor criticised the fresh bill, claiming that it has no procedural safeguards to prevent its misuse. He also said that the bill “conflates civil law with criminal law by criminalising a wrong form of divorce and by criminalising an act which is already legally null and void”.