Modi’s Muslim outreach
Triple talaq: PM vows justice for all women
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday made a strong pitch against the divisive issue of triple talaq, insisting the exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice done to them. The PM, however, objected to any attempts at creating a conflict within the Muslim community on the issue and suggested tackling it through social awareness.
“Modi talked about social justice. He said our Muslim sisters should also get justice. Injustice should not be done with them. Nobody should be exploited,” Union Minister Nitin Gadkari told journalists briefing about Modi's address to the delegates at the BJP's national executive in Bhubaneswar.
“We do not want that there is conflict within the Muslim community over this issue. What we have to do is that if there are any social evils, we have to wake up the society and make efforts to provide justice to them (Muslim women). That was the Prime Minister's spirit,” Gadkari added quoting Modi.
The Prime Minister's comments came on a day when the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) asserted that Muslims have a “constitutional” right to follow their personal law of which triple talaq was a part. AIMPLB general-secretary Maulana Wali Rehmani, however, said the board has decided to issue a code of conduct and warned that those who give talaq (divorce) without following the Sharia (Islamic law) will face social boycott. “A code of conduct for talaq is being issued. With its help, the real picture of Shariat directives will be brought out on the talaq issue. If talaq is given without Shariat reasons, those involved will be socially boycotted,” Rehmani told reporters in Lucknow.
The board is also issuing appeals to all maulanas and imams of mosques to read out the code of conduct during Friday namaz and emphasise on its implementation.
The board has made it clear that it will not tolerate any interference in the Shariat laws, and claimed an overwhelming majority of the Muslims in the country do not want any change in their personal laws.
The Union government had on October 7 last year opposed before the Supreme Court the practice of triple talaq, nikah halala and polygamy among Muslims and favoured a relook on grounds like gender equality and secularism.