TRIPLE TALAQ, MCI ORDINANCES RE-PROMULGATED

NEW DELHI: A day after Parliament’s winter session ended, the Narendra Modi government re-promulgated the ordinance on the contentious triple talaq bill that makes the practice of instant divorce a penal offence.

Two other ordinances were approved by the Cabinet on Thursday, one allowing a panel to run the Medical Council of India. The other is understood to be about an amendment to the Company Law, a government official said.

The government managed to pass the amended triple talaq bill in the Lok Sabha but failed to push it through in the Rajya Sabha owing to stiff resistance by Opposition parties. In the Upper House, the NDA government is in a minority.

The government had amended the bill to allow bail provisions for the accused. It also restricted outsiders from filing complaints against an accused.

The earlier ordinance would have lapsed on January 22. The government has a window of 42 days to clear the related bill in the following Parliament session.

The MCI ordinance provides for supersession of the MCI for a year.

In the interim period, the central government will constitute a board of governors that will exercise the powers of the MCI, according to PRS Legislative Research.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018 saw Opposition parties united against it. Although many Opposition parties dubbed instant talaq repressive, they objected to the manner in which the government wanted to criminalize a civil contract.

“Most Islamic countries have banned triple talaq. So it is not a matter of religion or faith. Even in Pakistan, triple talaq is banned. So it is an issue of gender equality, a matter of social justice. It is not an issue of faith. So keep the two separate,” Modi had said.

Opposition parties demanded that the bill be sent to a joint select panel for review.