The Law commission, an advisory committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice B S Chauhan has been requested by the Department of Legal Affairs to examine the issue of uniform civil code and submit a report.
The Centre is likely to inform the Supreme Court about its decision to refer the matter to the commission on September 6 when the apex court is set to examine the constitutional validity of the practice of triple talaq followed by Muslims in India according to a report by Deccan Herald.
The court had earlier sought a response from the attorney general after NGOs campaigning against the practice, petitioned the SC.
"In the course of our work, we have regularly been approached by our sisters, complaining about mistreatment and misuse of the oral talaq system. In most cases, men go scot-free and believe their action is approved by the Quran," Zakia Soman, one of the co-founders of a woman's based advocacy group Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), was quoted saying by Al Jazeera.
The BMMA who claim that 59 percent of divorced Indian Muslim women were divorced through triple talaq have been campaigning on behalf of women who have been divorced by their husbands via SMS or Whatsapp
An online petition started by the group to ban the triple talaq practice has been signed by 50,000 people.
"None of the Quranic guidelines of discussion, arbitration, witnesses, specified time period or even a genuine attempt to resolve differences are being followed. In such circumstances, the question of alimony or the rights of children doesn't arise," added Zakia.
Meanwhile, giving the social issue a political twist, congress and BJP have been publicly attacking each other over the issue of Uniform Civil Code which is being advocated by the government as a possible solution to the problems associated with Triple Talaq.
While BJP, Shiv Sena and others are advocating uniform civil code as a measure of relief to women in distress, Congress has accused the government for raising the issue ahead of the Uttar Pradesh elections for political gains.
Uniform Civil Code has been a long standing demand of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and officialy a part of BJP's election manifesto.
In its manifesto, the BJP claimed it would accord top priority to drafting such a code which would 'draw upon the best traditions of (Indian culture) and harmonise them with times.'
