Triple talaq

“We are in favour of the bill but we are opposed to the provision of imprisonment of the husbands. Who will take care of the family?” leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said.

The ruling coalition is short of numbers in the Upper House, and that has allowed parties such as the Congress and Trinamool Congress (TMC), which backed the bill in Lok Sabha, to drive a hard bargain. Congress’s Anand Sharma and TMC’S Sukhendu Sekhar Roy wanted their resolutions, moved on Wednesday, for referring the bill to a select committee to be taken up before any other business. “Both the resolutions moved do not reflect the character of the House. Any (proposed) committee which is giving one sided view is not a valid resolution,” Jaitley said.

“A select committee is to work on the resolution and return it to the House,” he said, adding the panel should have representation of various parties proportionate to their strength in the House.

Deputy chairman PJ Kurien said Opposition’s motions were valid but it is was for the government to decide the order of the business. The government placed the talaq bill at the bottom of the list of business and decided to go ahead with a bill on goods and services tax. Opposition members created an uproar, forcing Kurien to adjourn the House for the day. The Supreme Court had in August struck down as unconstitutional the Muslim practice that allowed a man to end his marriage by uttering the word talaq thrice in a row.