'Triple Talaq' Bill Passed in the Rajya Sabha

New Delhi, July 30, 2019:

The triple talaq bill has finally cleared its toughest test in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday when some parties opposed to the law such as Nitish Kumar's party and the AIADMK decided to abstain from voting. Their absence from voting helped the Bill pass the magical mark in a depleted Upper House.

The opposition demand to send the bill to a select committee was rejected with only 84 members voting for it, 100 against. The triple talaq bill was passed soon after.

The bill, which outlaws instant triple talaq, stipulates three years' jail for violations. The ban is already in force through an ordinance but has been a top priority for the NDA government. It was the first bill introduced in Parliament after the NDA government was re-elected to power.

The NDA was still short on numbers. But helped by the opposition's depleted strength in parliament, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government got the contentious law through by persuading some friendly parties to either back the bill or abstain from voting.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad initiated the discussion on the bill, stressing that the members should not look at it from the prism of politics and vote bank.

'This is a question of justice for women and their empowerment… This is a matter of gender justice, dignity and equality,' the minister said initiating the discussion on the bill that has been already cleared by the Lok Sabha.

Congress lawmaker Amee Yajnik said she supported the bill but not the criminalization angle in it.

Inside Northeast’s Campaign #LetsSaveDeeporBeel is now supported by Oil India Limited (OIL). Join us as we continue the awareness campaign to preserve the only Ramsar site in Assam which is facing immense threats. We need your help to preserve this site of great ecological importance. Join the #LetsSaveDeeporBeel campaign and tweet about it, and do tag us on Twitter. Let’s make some noise!