Triple talaq bill tabled in Lok Sabha amid opposition from BJD, Asaduddin Owaisi; BJP calls it legislation for women's rights

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabled the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. “The triple talaq bill is for women’s rights and justice, and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion,” he said in Parliament.

The bill was tabled amid chaotic scenes, as BJD and AIMIM MPs opposed it and said it violates the fundamental rights of Muslim women.

This law is for women's rights & justice & not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/feFU2W3faF

— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

Prasad remarks were directed at MPs who had opposed the bill’s introduction in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, stating that the bill was politically motivated and targeted men from the Muslim community.

They said it was drafted without holding any consultation with representatives of the community. Addressing the speakers, Prasad sought to clarify the concerns raised by some members of Parliament, including AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi and BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, both of who had given notice of opposition and were against criminalisation of triple talaq.

The bill awards a three-year prison sentence for husbands who exercise instant triple talaq. Expressing his opposition to the bill, Owaisi told the Lok Sabha Speaker that laws to protect women already existed, and if this bill was passed, it would be an injustice to Muslim women. “How will a person in jail pay sustenance?” he questioned.

This bill violates fundamental rights & lacks legal coherence: Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/ch48CGIUvm

— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

Owaisi remarked that the bill is creating separate provisions to tackle issues which are already been dealt with in existing provisions. He said that the bill violates the basic structure of the Constitution which guarantees personal laws under articles 25, 26 and 29.

To which Prasad replied, “Are the rights of women guaranteed under Article 14 not the basic structure of women? The Parliament has all the right to bring this law.”

BJD MP Bhartuhari Mahtab from Cuttack said that the bill was politically motivated. “In the anxiety to bring a bill, the government is doing disservice to Muslim women. The judgment of the Supreme Court should be reflected in the bill. It’s riddled with contradictions. This will only bring more cases to court.”

This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill :BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/525aKIKrpD

— ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017

To which, Prasad replied, “The SC has termed taalaq-e-biddat illegal. But even after that, women are thrown out in the streets. Will the parliament remain quiet? The Parliament has to decide the Fundamental Rights of women suffering from triple talaq.”

Though Congress has supported the introduction of the bill, it sought clarification on certain sections.