Government and Opposition fail to reach consensus on instant talaq bill

NEW DELHI: The fate of the bill seeking to ban instant triple talaq and having a penal provision against the offender remains undecided, as the government and Opposition could not reach a consensus on whether the proposed legislation should be discussed and passed or sent to a select committee. On the penultimate day of the winter session, the Opposition raised the issue of taking up Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 in the post-lunch session.

TMC, SP and Congress said the amendments dealing with sending the bill to a select committee be taken up before any other legislative business is conducted.

After a short-duration discussion on the state of the economy, the Opposition demanded that the bill be taken up. Leader of the House Arun Jaitley reiterated his earlier objection over the manner in which Anand Sharma (Congress) and SS Roy (TMC) had moved the amendments.


He said such a request for sending a bill to a panel must be given 24 hours prior to the matter be taken up in the House and this was not done. He also raised other issues like Opposition choosing members of the proposed panel unilaterally and orally.

However, deputy chairperson PJ Kurien gave his ruling in favour of the Opposition and said the two amendments have been accepted by Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu. As for the procedure, the Rajya Sabha secretariat should have looked into it, he added. “Once a motion is moved it is the property of the House. I cannot ask him (Sharma and Roy) to withdraw,” Kurien said.

TMC’s Derek O’Brien alleged the government does not want to pass the bill, while the entire Opposition is united. With the House not in order as several members were on their feet, Kurien adjourned the proceedings till Friday. The bill is now likely to be taken up only in the budget session. The prospects of sending it to a select committee are remote as the government is not in favour of it.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, GN Azad, said every member is in favour of banning instant triple talaq but the Opposition has issues with the provision of imprisoning the man as this would leave him in a position where he cannot pay subsistence allowance to his wife.