Union Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad (PTI)

NEW DELHI: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad today urged Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to support the bill on banning instant triple talaq and wondered if she stands for women's dignity and equality than why does her party continue to oppose the measure in Parliament.

He also questioned demands to remove the provision of up to three year jail term for husband for giving instant triple talaq to his wife.

"It is asked if the husband is jailed, who would take care of the wife. Under the Dowry Act, Muslim husbands and mothers-in-law go to jail, in Domestic Violence Act people go to jail ... Don't Muslim criminals go to jail in other offences ... why only raise the issue of triple talaq," he told reporters here.

He said if Congress does not support the 'Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill,' Gandhi should not talk of gender justice, dignity and equality.

Prasad said the bill should not be opposed by Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee as it seeks to achieve gender equality.

Provision of bail was one of the demands of the opposition parties

Seeking to allay their fears, the government today approved certain safeguards in the bill such as adding a provision of bail for the accused before trial.

The minister said in 2017, a total of 389 cases of instant triple talaq were reported. Between January and August last year, 229 cases were reported. "This shows that the bill is required even after the Supreme Court struck down triple talaq as illegal."

Even after the bill was introduced, 160 cases were reported.

The bill has been cleared by Lok Sabha and pending approval of Rajya Sabha where the government lacks numbers.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament and the government could introduce amendments in Rajya Sabha. If the bill is cleared by the upper house, it will have to go back to Lok Sabha for approval of the amendments.

