India Tomorrow
New Delhi, June 21— Denouncing the insistence of the BJP-led NDA government to criminalize the practice of instant Triple Talaq, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) on Friday said that it is not a legal issue, rather a social issue.
“It is disturbing that the present government is rigid on implementing its proposed law on Triple Talaq in an undemocratic way and after failure in the Rajya Sabha it is resorting to ordinance, and now it has tabled the bill in the current Budget Session,” said Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani, Secretary and Spokesperson of AIMPLB in a press statement on Friday.
Board’s statement has come hours after the Union government tabled the bill in the Lok Sabha amid protest from the Opposition parties.
“Board thinks that it is not a legal issue, rather a social issue. The energy and resources the government is using for this legislation for political purposes and publicity. If it had used them for social reform and take support of the religious section of the Muslim community for this purpose it would have been more beneficial,” he said.
Maulana Rahmani also demanded the government to send the bill to Select Committee so that the community related to the issue could also put their views before the committee and the issue could be resolved with mutual agreement and democratically.
The AIMPLB has also demanded the Opposition parties not to allow the passage of the bill in its present form in the Rajya Sabha.
It has also appealed to the Muslims “to give special attention on social reform and avoid talaq and triple talaq without any valid reason and try to establish justice in the society because to give talaq or instant triple talaq without any reason is an atrocity against women.”
The Triple Talaq bill criminalizes instant triple talaq with a provision of up to three year jail term for the Muslim husband who does so.
For about two years, the BJP-led NDA government has been trying to get the bill passed from the Parliament. However, it was stuck in the Rajya Sabha where it does not have required majority.
