The bill also provides that if an application has not been admitted or rejected within 14 days by the adjudicating authority, it shall provide the reasons in writing for the same.

The changes in the law are aimed at timely admission of applications and timely completion of the corporate insolvency resolution process.

The proposed amendments to the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2019 are aimed at filling critical gaps in the corporate insolvency resolution framework while at the same time maximising value from resolution.

Rajya Sabha assembles. Six members elected from Tamil Nadu take oath as members. All of them take oath in Tamil. The new members are Chandrashekaran, Mohammed John, N. Shanmugam, Vaiko, P. Wilson and Anbumani Ramadoss.

Darshana Jardosh (BJP) who represents Surat asks when the international airport project in the city will be completed. Mr. Puri says the work is going on.

Question Hour is in progress In Lok Sabha. MoS of Civil Aviation Hardeep Singh Puri is answering questions on modernisation of aerodromes. TR Baalu asks when will Sriperumbudur airport near Chennai take form? The plan is on paper for the past 10-15 years, he says. Puri says land is the issue starting a greenfield airport in Sriperumbudur.

In Rajya Sabha, government plans to get the amendments to Right to Information Act passed, but the opposition is insisting on sending the Bill to a Select Committee.

On the penultimate day of the Monsoon Session, Lok Sabha will be taking up the controversial Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, that seeks to ban the practice of instant triple talaq practiced in Islam.

Opposition insists the minister should name the bidder. "Yes, it is Adani," he said. "We have decided to hand over three airports to them. We invited bids. There were nine bidders," he said. Government favoured the Adanis, alleges Opposition. "I am happy for a discussion," the minister says. Members create ruckus in the House. Speaker brings the House in order.

Question Hour underway in Lok Sabha. ​Trinamool Congress' Sougata Roy asks if Kolkata airport can be privatised as well. The minister says bids were invited for six airports and one bidder won it in all the six airports.

CPI(M)'s TK Rangarajan joins the issue. He says every resolution from the State is being ignored by the Centre, he alleges. More members associate.

AIADMK's Navaneethakrishnan speaks against the proposed Dam Safety Bill in Rajya Sabha. The Tamil Nadu Assembly has passed a resolution unanimously against the bill. The proposed bill is taking away the rights of Tamil Nadu.

Question Hour underway in Lok Sabha. Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju is replying to questions. When will the Sports Centre in Allahabad (Prayagraj) be opened, a member asked. Rijiju said the Centre is in touch with the state government on this.

"Whom should we send these kind of sportspersons to when they approach us," Kher asks. "The funding is given through sports federation," responds Rijiju.

BJP's Kirron Kher asks how the government is helping poor sportspersons to get funding. Any sports recognised by Olympics, the Ministry funds them. On sports that are not recognised, we are helping them too, Rijiju informs Lok Sabha.

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury opposes the introduction of The Inter-State River Water Disputes Bill, 2019. TR. Baalu says the government is bulldozing Bills through the Parliament.

He says consecutive promulgation of Ordinances is a fraud on the Constitution.

NK Premachandran says that Supreme Court has never given a directive to the government to make a law on this. Only the AIMPLB wants the government to make legislation on this. He asks why the government is not ready to make a legislation on mob lynching, when it has been directed by the Supreme Court. He says this is a politically motivated Bill to target a particular community.

Ravi Shankar Prasad rises to present The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 for consideration and passing.

Speaker says that in the next session Members will be given more time to peruse Bills. Bhartruhari Mahtab says that the government suddenly circulates Bills in the House and the Bill is quickly passed.

Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad rises to introduce The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2019, which will repeal 58 Acts. Congress Member Shashi Tharoor says the government has the bad habit of rushing through legislation without giving time for MPs to read copies of the drafts. Kalyan Banerjee wants the government to also consider enacting a new penal code.

She recalled how divorce was allowed under Hindu Marriage Act. Congress' Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury interrupts, reminds her about Hindu Maha Sabha. She counters, "I am talking about women empowerment. I will mention Hindu Maha Sabha and the Congress when the time comes. Please sit down," she says.

BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi rises to address the Lok Sabha over triple talaq bill and starts by giving example of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Lekhi quoted Nehru and said that he wanted to see a just India and turn religious India to a secular India. "Isn't that what our Prime Minister Narendra Modi trying to do? This Bill will ensure that," she says.

Meenakshi Lekhi goes on to talk about the Shah Bano case and how Rajiv Gandhi government overturned the alimony clause. She says opposition is unable to digest that Narendra Modi is being a brother to innocent Muslim women. She mentions Akhilesh Yadav's name and Samajwadi Party members object to it.

"Leave something for other speakers too. Please conclude," the Chair tells Lekhi. She ends with a poem.

BJP MP Lekhi, who is also a lawyer, says that the victimised women approached the court and the Supreme Court wanted the government to frame the law. She compares it with Sati, how the law was initially protested and reforms happened in Hindu religion. "How about Sabarimala," asks a member. "I'll talk about it later," she replies.

Jawed says I urge the minister to send this bill to the Standing Committee. "This is clear appeasement. They accuse the Congress, what are they doing? They want RTI weakened but strengthening the UAPA Act."

Mohammad Jawed, Congress MP from Bihar's Kishanganj, rises to address Lok Sabha and says that he opposes the triple talaq bill. "Centre is formulating law and rules which anti-minority. If they care so much about Muslims, then let them go meet the wife of Tabrez Ansari who was lynched in Jharkhand, or widow of Akhlaq or mother of young Junaid — all of them died because they were Muslims."

This Bill will cause distress and the only option for men is to walk out of marriage, he says. Bring reforms such as reservation, job assistance etc.

Congress MP Mohammad Jawed says instant talaq has already been declared unconstitutional by courts. An additional law to protect only Muslim women is not needed. When talaq-e-biddat is void, where is the need for providing maintenance. Where is the question of alimony, he asks.

Referring to Meenakshi Lekhi's speech on property rights to women, Kanimozhi recalled how Tamil Nadu was the first State to grant the right and questions who stalled the Bill in parliament then in Parliament.

"You are passing Bills on women without having adequate women in the House," she says and asks the government to pass the women's reservation Bill first. "What laws are you bringing to stop 'honour' killing, mob lynching? What freedom we have when we can't eat what we like, pray whom we like or refrain from praying?"

DMK's Kanimozhi opposes the triple talaq Bill. "Why is this government in such rush to pass these bills? Why bills that arouse the communal passion are being pushed?" she asks.

DMK will not allow the minorities in this country to feel insecure, she ends the speech.

"Domestic violence laws are stronger than this Bill," she says. "When the Supreme Court approved women entering Sabarimala, why was BJP opposing it? Why is marital rape not considered a crime," she asks.

Kanimozhi continues, says women's rights includes men's rights also. She questioned the bail clauses. "What about Hindu women and Christian women? No one sends a Hindu man to jail for abandoning his wife," she says.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad agrees with O'Brien, says "We have been passing the Bills. At the same time the functioning of the ministry should also be discussed. We have passed too many bills. Time for short duration discussion now.”

Trinamool Congress' Derek O' Brien says at least one short duration discussion every week. This Budget session, which is scheduled to come to an end tomorrow, the House witnessed only two short duration discussion in 26 days. A discussion on MSME was listed, it has vanished now, he says.

With the government planning to extend the Parliament session to push through several legislation, the Opposition parties met Wednesday and identified as many as seven Bills which they want sent to Select Committees for scrutiny.

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma, while addressing the Rajya Sabha, says that Bills need to be presented before a Select Commitee. "Law-making cannot be done in a hurry and every law affects this society," he said.

A discussion is currently underway in the upper house regarding The Right to Information (Amendment) Bill, 2019. Union Minister Jitendra Singh started the discussion on the bill and it was followed by other members in the house including Derek O' Brien.

Don't insist on arguments that are not tenable, he says citing previous instances. "We are legislators. Our job is to legislate," he says.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar says we have 22 lapsed Bills. “We had to bring them back because you didn't allow it pass,” he says. "You are responsible for it," opposition members, says Javadekar.

Sukhendu Shekar Roy (Trinamool Congress) says only the Chairperson can say if the House has to be extended. But now the Minister says Bills can be discussed next week. He seeks the minister's remarks to be expunged.

RTI (Amendment) Bill has to be sent to the Select Committee, Anand Sharma tells Rajya Sabha. "We are Council of States. We are not here to pass every Bill passed by the other House. This House has to do its duty," he says.

Deputy Chairperson Harivansh says as per convention both Bill and motion are moved together. P Chidambaram says if the Bill is sent to Select Committee, there is no need to move the Bill. So it has be taken separately, he says.

MoS PMO Jithendra Singh moves RTI (Amendment) Bill. Opposition insists on sending it to a Select Committee. They want to move a motion to send the Bill to Select Committee. “The Bill is misunderstood,” Singh tells House.

Acts cannot be made instantly like dosa, Viswam says. The Chair takes up the Bill for discussion, asks Abhishek Manu Singhvi to speak. Opposition protests. House adjourned.

Derek O'Brien says he is moving the motion to send the House to Select Committee to protect democracy.

Shiv Sena supports the Bill. MP Sanjay Raut says this is a landmark Bill, should be written in golden words in history. "The Constitution envisioned equity and equality for all. But Congress considered Muslims as vote bank and equality eluded them," he says.

Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minority Affairs Minister, says that the Opposition is against this Bill because they are afraid of losing a certain set of votes. The Bill is in lines with the constitutional commitment. The Bill will protect Muslim women, he adds.

“How will the woman prove that her husband has uttered talaq thrice,” he asks. Anubhav Mohanty (BJD) says he supports the Bill.

JD(U) Rajeev Ranjan Singh says though his party is part of NDA, he is opposed to the triple talaq Bill. “Laws can't determine the relationship of husband and wife. Let the community resolve the issue themselves. The government can support. The Muslim Personal Board too agreed that instant talaq should be stopped.”

BSP’s Kunwar Danish Ali asks why a civil offence is being made a criminal offence. SP leader Azam Khan rose to address Lok Sabha. Treasury Benches object to some of his reference. He recites a poem. BJP members say it is targetting Rama Devi, who is in the Chair. “You are disrespecting a woman,” Ravi Shankar Prasad slams Khan.

Opposition members object. Pandemonium in the House. "We want Select Committee," Opposition members chant. Sahasrabuddhe continues to speak. He accuses the Opposition of selective outrage and casting unnecessary doubts in the Bill.

Rajya Sabha reassembles. Deputy Chairperson Harivansh says let the debate happen simultaneously but voting will first happen on motion. The Chair asks Vinay Sahasrabuddhe to speak.

The Speaker says we do remove words from records or expunge them, but words have already reached the people. Let's be careful in the choice of words, he tells members.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress, lauds Speaker for his stand. He says when an important Bill is being discussed, it doesn't send a good signal when a minority community member walks out.

Kalyan Banerjee says members from Treasury Benches are making comments while they are seated. Some words are unparliamentary, he says.

Speaker Om Birla is back in the Chair. He reins in agitated MPs. Azam Khan says he only addressed her as a sister. "If I had uttered anything unparliamentary, I will resign." He walks out.

After the Supreme Court judgment, hundreds of cases of triple talaq were reported, BJP’s Kirron Kher said in the Lok Sabha. “Muslim women don’t even know that legal remedies existed. Triple talaq practice an insult to legal system. Pakistan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Egypt, Jordan and other muslim-majority countries have banned this practice,” she said. Stating that the Opposition’s speeches lacked substance, she said the parties are giving lip service to Muslim women who deserve the same rights as other women in the country. “Let’s stand with women of the country and not appease vote banks,” Kher said. Kher stressed that it is time to send message that wife is not a disposable commodity. “This practice is an easy way out for other practices like domestic violence, dowry and even infidelity. There is nothing anti-Muslim with standing for the rights of women, she concluded applauding the Bill.

When SC decriminalised homosexuality, adultery and you are decriminalising triple talaq, you are moving towards New India, AIMIM’s Asaduddin Owaisi said in the Lok Sabha. The bill says that if a Muslim man says talaq thrice, the marriage doesn’t end, he said adding that in Islam, there are nine types of talaq. Talking about the Bill’s provision of burden of proof, he asked how will the women prove their correctness. “How will a husband pay maintenance from jail. Why should the women stay in such a marriage in three years while the husband is jailed? Court decides whether to give bail, why are you deciding the same?” he asked. By ending the marriage, the law will get the woman on the roads, he said. He demanded that a condition should be put that in such a case, 500 percent of the maintenance that the husband is supposed to pay to the wife should be imposed.

Stating that the Congress welcomes the Supreme Court ruling that talaq-e-biddat is unconstitutional, Gaurav Gogoi asked where the judgment has mentioned that the triple talaq must be criminalised. “There have been earlier judgments that ruled talaq-e-biddat is unconstitutional. But none of them has said it must be a criminal offence. In which country is this a criminal offence? Only Bangladesh has criminalised it. Your intention is to demonise and penalise Muslim men," he said. “The Law minister said that they have the mandate, then why are you shying away from setting up Standing Committee?” Gogoi asked.

The NIA, UAPA and the Triple Talaq are all Bills that target the Muslims in the country, CPM’s Abdul Majeed Ariff said in the Lok Sabha. He further said that this Bill allows such cases to be dealt under the criminal procedures law. All other religious laws come under civil procedures.

Bill seeks to make RTI an act, not an RTI Act, said Congress’ Abhishek Manu Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha. “I can understand an amendment to strengthen the Act. Here you are making an amendment to degrade an act. The objective of the Bill is not to make CIC and IC equivalent to judges. Did any judge object that they are earning on par as us?” he asked. Accusing the government of surpassing the legislature, Singhvi said that it is keeping a sword hanging on an institute that is set up to ensure transparency. He says the government wants to cripple this institution and that the government is elevating it to the status of an 'sarkari' department.

Hasnain Masoodi said that if the Supreme Court has already said that Triple Talaq is void, what is the need for a law. “What will be the fate of the family if we allow Section 4 to be implemented through the Bill,” he asked. Masoodi said that nothing will be achieved by making it an offence. He said that the burden will be on women to prove that triple talaq has been pronounced. “Moreover, after it is proven, how will she ask for maintenance if her husband is in jail?” he questioned. This Bill does not serve any purpose and will not do any sort of justice to the Muslim women, he said.

Triple talaq is tool to take away the right to equality, said BJP’s Locket Chatterjee. “High time has come to be their representatives in parliament and that is what this government is doing. We will be giving Muslim women hope and justice through this parliament session, she said. Why should Muslim women live in fear, Chatterjee asked, asking further if the Constitution not value them. “They want independence from polygamy and halala law too. It is not possible for a bird to fly with just one wing, she said.

Parliament should take up issues of rape, marital rape too, says Congress’ S Jothimani Congress’ S Jothimani said the government is playing a divide and rule policy among women. “Irrespective of religion, women are subjugated to injustices and have been going through this for years. Rape and marital rape are also important issues that the parliament should take up with the same interest,” she said.​ Jothimani claimed that the Bill goes against against the rights of Muslims, especially of the women from the community. The Bill must be sent to the Standing Committee, she demanded.

“The Bill is not targeting the Muslim community, it is looking at triple talaq and the practice exists only in the Muslim community. If it existed in any other community, the Bill’s provisions would have applied there too,” Ravi Shankar Prasad started his responses to the queries on the Bill. If Prophet Mohammed spoke against the practice, then why are we still not against it? He said that the Bill is banned in many countries, and it is not a way to appease vote banks. He said that Muslim women have come to him and told him that after this law comes to be, they will celebrate Eid and Independence Day on that day.

Indian penal code is equal for everyone, Ravi Shankar Prasad said. “When a Muslim man goes to jail for dowry, nobody questions how he pays maintenance. But, the minute Triple Talaq is taken up, this issue is brought up,” he said. He said that many evils among Hindus, such as sati and dowry, were brought under the penal law. Shankar also said that the only relevant stakeholders when it comes to the Bill are the Muslim women, not the Muslim Boards in the country.

Rajya Sabha MPs discuss the RTI Bill The Ministry doesn't keep track on the number of bills passed or the status of whistleblower's protection bill, Samajwadi Party’s Javed Ali Khan said in the Rajya Sabha. “When the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had said the RTI review could be reviewed, BJP leader LK Advani vehemently opposed it saying BJP will not allow any attempt to dilute the law. At least follow your leader's words," he said. JD(U)’s Ramchandra Prasad Singh said the Chief Information Commissioner is selected by a committee that comprises the Leader of Opposition. So the question of misuse of power doesn't arise, he said supporting the Bill. TRS’ K Keshav Rao said the Minister had assured them that the law will not be diluted and voiced support for the Bill.

DMK’s RS Bharathi accuses govt of diluting RTI to “please certain people”​ RJD’s Manoj Jha said that the Bill is a direct attack on the power of RTI as well as the federal structureand warned the ruling party that this may affect them too.​ MK’s RS Bharathi accused the government of diluting the powers just to please certain people. He also accused the government of usurping the powers of the States. Nominated MP Swapan Das Gupta said the RTI is also a victim of unintended consequences. “The so-called activists have used the RTI for surrogate politics. The decision-making of bureaucracy has been slowed down due to the fear of RTI. Opposition protests, seeks his words to be expunged,” he said.

This is a pill that has decided to kill the RTI, says Congress’ Jairam Ramesh. What is the amendment about, why was the original sections kept in the Act and hy bring this amendment now are the three questions he posed. “The original Bill equated the information commissioners with the Secretaries. But the Standing Committee suggested the CIC and IC to that of CEC and EC. It may be noted that President Ram Nath Kovind, then the MP, was part of the Standing Committee,” he said.​ Ramesh said that the timing of the amendment is neither innocuous nor innocent. Noting five orders of CIC - PM's educational qualification, government's false claim on bogus ration cards, that RBI disapproved demonetination, the then RBI Raghuram Rajan had given the list of top NPA defaulters, quantum and value of black money brought back from abroad, he said the real reason behind the Bill is to make the Information Commission a toothless body. The manner of making appointments lead to disappointments, Ramesh said.

As voting on the RTI (Amendment) Bill, 2019 is underway, chaos erupts in the House. Opposition members troop into the well. Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad says ministers are intimidating MPs. "You are trying to turn the Parliament into a government House or department," he said before announcing that the Congress is walking out.

Parliament Updates: Lok Sabha is discussing instant triple talaq bill. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minority Affairs Minister, says that the Opposition is against the triple talaq Bill because they are afraid of losing a certain set of votes. The Bill is in lines with the constitutional commitment. The Bill will protect Muslim women, he adds.

After Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and MP Meenakshi Lekhi, DMK's Kanimozhi opposes the Bill. Kanimozhi says women's rights includes men's rights also. She questioned the bail clauses. "What about Hindu women and Christian women? No one sends a Hindu man to jail for abandoning his wife," she says. "Domestic violence laws are stronger than this Bill," she says. "When the Supreme Court approved women entering Sabarimala, why was BJP opposing it? Why is marital rape not considered a crime," she asks.

"Why is this government in such rush to pass these bills? Why bills that arouse the communal passion are being pushed?" she asks. "You are passing Bills on women without having adequate women in the House," she says and asks the government to pass the women's reservation Bill first. "What laws are you bringing to stop 'honour' killing, mob lynching? What freedom we have when we can't eat what we like, pray whom we like or refrain from praying?"

DMK's Kanimozhi opposes the triple talaq Bill. "Why is this government in such rush to pass these bills? Why bills that arouse the communal passion are being pushed?" she asks.

"You are passing Bills on women without having adequate women in the House," she says and asks the government to pass the women's reservation Bill first. "What laws are you bringing to stop 'honour' killing, mob lynching? What freedom we have when we can't eat what we like, pray whom we like or refrain from praying?"

BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi rises to address the Lok Sabha over triple talaq bill and starts by giving example of former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Lekhi goes on to talk about the Shah Bano case and how Rajiv Gandhi government overturned the alimony clause. She says opposition is unable to digest that Narendra Modi is being a brother to innocent Muslim women. She mentions Akhilesh Yadav's name and Samajwadi Party members object to it.

Lekhi quoted Nehru and said that he wanted to see a just India and turn religious India to a secular India. "Isn't that what our Prime Minister Narendra Modi trying to do? This Bill will ensure that," she says.

Ravi Shankar Prasad rises to present The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 for consideration and passing. NK Premachandran says that Supreme Court has never given a directive to the government to make a law on this. Only the AIMPLB wants the government to make legislation on this. He asks why the government is not ready to make a legislation on mob lynching, when it has been directed by the Supreme Court. He says this is a politically motivated Bill to target a particular community.

He says consecutive promulgation of Ordinances is a fraud on the Constitution.

Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury opposes the introduction of The Inter-State River Water Disputes Bill, 2019. TR. Baalu says the government is bulldozing Bills through the Parliament.

Question Hour underway in Lok Sabha. ​Trinamool Congress' Sougata Roy asks if Kolkata airport can be privatised as well. The minister says bids were invited for six airports and one bidder won it in all the six airports. Opposition insists the minister should name the bidder. "Yes, it is Adani," he said. "We have decided to hand over three airports to them. We invited bids. There were nine bidders," he said. Government favoured the Adanis, alleges Opposition. "I am happy for a discussion," the minister says. Members create ruckus in the House. Speaker brings the House in order.

Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha assembled at 11 am on Thursday. The government has listed the contentious triple talaq bill for consideration and passage in Lok Sabha on Thursday. The ruling BJP has issued a whip to its MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House.

The bill, which criminalises instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for the guilty, was the first draft legislation tabled by the Narendra Modi government in this first session after it took oath of office for a second term in May.

Several opposition parties have bitterly opposed it but the government has asserted that the bill is a step towards gender equality and justice. Parties like the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK have demanded that it be sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny.

The BJP-led NDA enjoys a strong majority in the Lower House, making the passage of the bill a foregone conclusion. However, the government is set to face an uphill task in Rajya Sabha where Opposition parties have numerical advantage over the treasury benches.

Some of the BJP's allies, including the JD(U), have also expressed their reservation about the bill.

Updated Date: July 25, 2019 20:36:07 IST

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