I congratulate PM Shri @narendramodi and the entire government for successfully passing the Triple Talaq Bill - The… https://t.co/tosxmx1JbI — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) 1514472861000

This bill is a historic step towards ensuring dignity for Muslim women. I thank all fellow Parliamentarians who hav… https://t.co/jmD5oSYOcQ — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) 1514472866000

Its a historic day, we are confident that it will be passed in Rajya Sabha as well: Home Minister Rajnath Singh… https://t.co/X2beQFDxCn — ANI (@ANI) 1514471596000

#TripleTalaqBill bill not give justice to Muslim women but will lead to more injustice: Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM on… https://t.co/zyJ2huc2r7 — ANI (@ANI) 1514471523000

This is a victory for Muslim women. They have fought for this for long. This will act as a deterrence: Noorjahan,… https://t.co/pC9WvfZvgV — ANI (@ANI) 1514470506000

Lok Sabha passes bill criminalising Triple Talaq

NEW DELHI: After just a day of discussion, the Lok Sabha (LS) on Thursday passed a bill that makes triple talaq a criminal offence.The bill was passed after the House rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.Despite reservations by opposition parties, the bill was cleared on the same day that it was introduced - something that was possible because the BJP government has a brute majority in the Lower House.The bill will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha where it is likely to sail through, given the Congress 's stated support to the legislation.The draft bill, officially called Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, says, "any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal."The draft bill also has a provision of imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three years, and a fine, for violators."We are not interfering in Shariat", said law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in the LS today during the debate on the Triple Talaq Bill "This law is for women's rights and justice and not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion," he added.The law minister added that Centre is looking at the bill through the lens of humanity and not politics, as alleged by the opposition parties.He said that judiciary in various judgements have conveyed their concerns from time to time on this issue. "We were expecting that after this judgement, triple talaq cases would come down and situation would improve...about 300 triple talaq cases happened in 2017 and 100 were reported after the Supreme Court's judgement."Several countries particularly Islamic nations including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Morocco, Indonesia, Malaysia and Tunisia have regulated this. "See where Islamic nations have reached and see where we are," he asked.Union minister M J Akbar fiercely defended the bill and said it would have far reaching implications for 9 crore Muslim women living under the "constant fear of being divorced".The law will give a big blow to those who want to keep women under the constant "fear and terror" in the name of talaq, Akbar said, adding it concerns the "pain and distress" of 9 crore Muslim women.Quoting extensively from the Quran, the minister said the holy book requires that Muslim women be given a little more than what is due to them and not less.During the debate, several opposition parties had expressed reservations about the draft bill.The Congress said it is supporting the bill, but will raise objections about its criminal provisions."...they didn't make us understand how this criminality of Triple Talaq will benefit women. If someone is lodged in prison as a punishment for saying Triple Talaq, who will take care of his family," said Salman Khurshid, senior Congress leader.The Congress party's Mallikarjun Kharge said he hoped some of these issues could be resolved in the standing committee."All of us (Congress) are supporting this bill, but there are certain lacunae which should and can be rectified in the standing committee, we can sit together and sort out in a time bound manner," said Kharge in the LS.The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) too called the bill flawed."This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill, said BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab.The AIMIM and the Samajwadi Party (SP) were both completely against the bill.The SP said the "bill will only make Hindu fanatics happy", while the AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi said, "it violates fundamental rights and lacks legal coherence."(With inputs from agencies)