Triple talaq highly misused custom: NCW chief

NEW DELHI: National Commission of Women (NCW) Chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam today said triple talaq is a "highly misused" custom and there was a need for scraping it to protect the rights of Muslim women.

"Triple talaq is not a political issue. It is an effort to protect the rights of Muslim women. It cannot be linked to Uniform Civil Code. It has nothing to do with it," she said.

The NCW chief said she had received several representations from Muslim women who said they felt "disempowered" because of the practice of triple talaq.

"There is a concern about how triple talaq is unilaterally applied leaving women and children in a bad shape. It is a highly misused custom that has to be done away with. Several Islamic countries have banned it," she said.

Asked about the practices followed by other religions, Kumaramangalam said, "We are not comparing with women from other religions. It is not a comparison of religious laws and customs," she said.