The Opposition stalled the Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday and the massive ruckus led to the adjournment of the Upper House till 11 am on Thursday. The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, seeks to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq.
The Bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday afternoon after the house was adjourned till 12 pm earlier in the day owing to ruckus created by MPs over violence and the tense situation in Maharashtra.
Chaos in Rajya Sabha
Ruckus had erupted after the Opposition demanded the Bill to be sent to a standing committee for re-examination. Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, however, blamed the Opposition and said that the parties were planning to sabotage the discussion.
Pandemonium in Rajya Sabha after tabling of #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/5bp7GZgPy4
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018
Congress wants to lower the three-year imprisonment term to two years. The party also wants the Bill to be amended and recognise it as a non-cognisable offence.
Congress' Anand Sharma moved the notice and even proposed the names of committee members for the panel.
Jaitley rejects Opposition demand
In reaction to Sharma's action, Jaitley said that the house is taken by surprise that a motion has been suddenly moved as it had not been submitted a day before.
"The motion has to be given at least 24 hours in advance," said Jaitley.
The whole country is watching that in the other house you supported the bill and in this house you are trying to derail the bill: Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha #TripleTalaqBill
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018
"Reason why it should not be referred (to select committee) is that when the practice was declared unconstitutional, two of the judges held it as unfair and used their extraordinary power to suspend it for six months, which expire on February 22" Jaitley asserted.
Judges said, 'we are now suspending it for 6 months & we beseech all parties, therefore within this period come out with apt legislation.' So, there is an urgency that country expects from Parl. Legislature must act with sense of responsibility: Jaitley in RS #TripleTalaqBill 2/2
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018
It is clear that the Congress Party is opposing the #TripleTalaqBill. The support they extended in Lok Sabha was a sham. Today was a golden moment for the House to end the injustice, but because of Congress it could not happen : Union Minister Arun Jaitley pic.twitter.com/6VCnKq8or3
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018
Opposition hits back
However, Derek O'Brien of Trinamool Congress rejected Jaitley's allegations.
We are all for this bill, it is a faulty bill. No womens' groups, stakeholders were consulted. All we ask for is that talk to all stakeholders: Trinamool Congress MP Derek O' Brien #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/7Dj8GAeD8y
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018
Congress also hit back at Jaitley.
"He (Arun Jaitley) referred to the judgement of SC, I want to correct the record because I appeared in the case on behalf of Muslim Personal Law Board. What he said was in the context of the minority judgement," said Kapil Sibal of Congress.
Here are the names suggested for the standing commitee to re-examine the Bill.
Name of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs including Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja proposed to be members of Select Committee in the notice sent by Congress' Anand Sharma #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/aExOfiFMnL
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said that despite Supreme Court banning instant triple talaq, it is still being practised.
Even after passage of #TripleTalaqBill in Lok Sabha the practice is continuing, a woman in Moradabad was given #TripleTalaq over dowry: Law Minister RS Prasad in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/otec2iq6GE
— ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018
Meanwhile, SP MP Naresh Agarwal has allegedly insulted Muslim women.
