New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Thursday passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 that makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat a criminal offence, with a jail term of up to three years with a fine.
The bill, which seeks to replace an ordinance promulgated in September prohibiting divorce by pronouncing “talaq” by the husband, was passed after over four-hour discussion that saw some heated exchanges between the Opposition and treasury benches.
Before a vote on the bill, the Congress and the AIADMK staged a walkout over the government not accepting their demand to refer it to a joint select committee of the Parliament.
The bill makes instant triple talaq a cognizable offence, attracting up to three years’ imprisonment with a fine. The offence will be cognizable if information relating to the offence is given by the married woman against whom talaq has been pronounced or any person related to her by blood or marriage.
The proposed law would be applicable to the entire country, except in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, asserting that the triple talaq bill is about “humanity and justice”, the government said the legislation should not be weighed on the scales of politics while a united Opposition strongly demanded that it be referred to a joint select committee of Parliament, dubbing its provisions “unconstitutional”.
The debate on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which was tabled by Prasad last week, began in Lok Sabha amidst exchange of barbs between the treasury benches and the Opposition.
With Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, demanding that the bill be sent to a select committee for a greater scrutiny, Prasad said the government has taken note of concerns expressed by members earlier and amended the bill accordingly.
Prasad told the Lok Sabha the bill has made the offence compoundable, meaning that the case can be withdrawn if the man and his estranged wife reach a compromise, and that only the wife and her relatives can file an FIR, ruling out the law’s misuse.
Also Read:
Muslim groups urge government to withdraw triple talaq ordinance
