Shayara Bano, a 2016 petitioner in Instant Talaq case in Supreme Court thanked Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday, 31 July, for passing the Triple Talaq Bill.
“Whole Muslim community should be happy. Those who were opposing the Bill & creating obstacles should understand that it’s for the good of society & women. I thank RS Prasad ji & Modi ji for their support.”Shayara Bano
Political leaders, especially those affiliated to the BJP, hailed the Triple Talaq Bill being passed in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, 30 July, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking to Twitter to say that "an archaic and medieval practice has finally been confined to the dustbin of history!"
"The abolition of Triple Talaq will contribute to women empowerment and give women the dignity they deserve in our society," he said.
Home minister and BJP president Amit Shah said, "Today is a great day for India's democracy. I congratulate PM Narendra Modi for fulfilling his commitment and ensuring a law to ban triple talaq, which will free Muslim women from the curse of this regressive practice. I thank all parties who supported this historic bill."
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who piloted the bill, said it was a "historic day when the Rajya Sabha passed the triple talaq bill that was passed by Lok Sabha earlier".
Targeting the Opposition, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Unfortunately, people who used to speak for women empowerment opposed the Bill in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, a Bill which is a symbol of women's dignity. Congress and their allies SP and BSP in the state (Uttar Pradesh), have been exposed."
Slamming the Congress for opposing the bill, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the party has again repeated a mistake made by it earlier. "The people will punish the Congress in the time to come," news agency PTI quoted Naqvi as saying.
Terming it an end to the suffering of Muslim women, Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani said only Prime Minister Narendra Modi understood the pain of Muslim women and fulfilled his commitment for ensuring gender justice, PTI reported.
BJP leader Sushma Swaraj congratulated the PM and all members of Parliament who helped in the passage of the revolutionary bill.
Another party leader Arun Jaitley said the passage of the bill is a monumental change in personal law. "Disheartened that the 'so called liberals' have opposed a progressive law. Congratulations to all, particularly Muslim women," he said.
Congress Questions Relevance of Triple Talaq Bill
Meanwhile, the Congress said there was no need to criminalise the practice of triple talaq, which had been struck down by the Supreme Court.
“We had fundamentally supported this Bill. We also wanted amendment for the provision of support to Muslim women. Our opposition was on two-three issues. The Supreme Court had struck down triple talaq, you had also struck down triple talaq through law, then what is the need to criminalise an imaginary thing?”Congress Leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, on the other hand, took a swipe at the parties and individuals who abstained during voting, saying it is sad to note that "those who claimed they oppose the Bill and will vote against it, were not present in the House".
"One should ask them why they abstained. If they were not to come to the House during voting, why did they make tall claims that they will vote against the Bill," PTI quoted him as saying.
‘One Part of Many Attacks on Muslim Identity and Citizenship Since 2014’
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaddudin Owaisi slammed the BJP over the passing of the Bill in the Rajya Sabha, saying the "Triple Talaq Bill should be seen only as one part of many attacks on Muslim identity and citizenship since 2014."
‘Mockery of Parliament Continues... Our Founding Fathers Would Weep’
TMC leader Derek O'Brien said, "Not floor management. TripleTalaqBill. It's the invisible and most dependable allies of the BJP: CBI and ED,” PTI reported.
"Mockery of Parliament continues. 18 bills have been passed by both Houses and made into acts this Session. Only ONE scrutinised by any Parliament committee. Smothering the demand of constructive opposition to improve Bills. Ignoring conventions. Our founding fathers would weep," he tweeted.
‘Should This Really Have Been a Priority?': Mehbooba Mufti
Meanwhile, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti questioned the need to pass the Bill, calling it “undue interference seemingly to punish Muslims.”
However, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah hit back at Mufti saying that PDP members abstained from voting on the Bill “which helped the government with the numbers needed to pass the Bill.”
The Parliament, on Tuesday, approved the Bill which deems instant triple talaq a criminal offence, as the contentious legislation was passed by Rajya Sabha, following non-aligned BJD extending support and NDA constituents JD(U) and AIADMK walking out.
Lok Sabha had passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill last week, and with Rajya Sabha having approved the same, the practice of instant divorce by Muslim men will be punishable by a jail term of up to three years.
The Upper House passed the Bill by 99 votes in favour of it and 84 against it.
Twitterati Speak
Journalist Naresh Fernandes said the Triple Talaq ordinance is “plainly discriminatory”.
One Twitter user said Triple Talaq cannot be criminalised unless accompanied by abandonment. “And law against abandonment must apply to all men, not just Muslims,” she wrote.
Journalist Swati Chaturvedi said that the Bill has been passed by the government to pander to its vote bank.
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