The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till Wednesday after ruckus over the politically sensitive triple talaq bill. Monday saw several interruptions in proceedings as the Opposition accused the government of rushing through with the bill, and demanded a call for a select joint committee to conduct deeper scrutiny of the bill.
While the BJP led Centre accused the Congress of being against gender justice. The BJP led Centre government does not want to refer the bill to a select committee as it has already been delayed significantly.
The opposition parties had decided to corner the government over the bill in the Rajya Sabha, with the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) planning to stage a walkout in protest. The parties, which met in the morning to chalk out a strategy for the House, had demanded that the bill should be referred to a select committee for review before it is passed.
Earlier in the day, The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm after the AIADMK members disrupted the proceedings over the Cauvery River water issue. As soon as papers were tabled, AIADMK members jumped into the well of House raising the Cauvery issue and shouting slogans “We want Justice”.
However, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Congress and other opposition parties want to hold discussions on the bill. Ghulam Nabi Azad requests for a select committee to view the Triple Talaq Bill before taking it up for discussion in the House. “The Bill should first be sent to the select committee. A discussion cannot take place without being passed by the panel,” Ghulam Nabi said reportedly.
“This is such an important bill which can positively or negatively affect the lives of crores of people can’t be passed just like this without going to a select committee,” said LOP Ghulam Nabi Azad.
Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha: This is such an important bill which can positively or negatively affect the lives of crores of people can't be passed just like this without going to a select committee. #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/YU6rNrXI0X
— ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2018
Last Week, The Upper House of the parliament, Rajya Sabha was called adjourned till Monday amidst uproar by Opposition on several issues including granting special status to Andhra Pradesh and protection of Cauvery delta farmers.
Vice President Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday pulled up parliamentarians for regular adjournments in the House. Sources said that Vice President Naidu in Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting expressed displeasure on the ‘Behaviour’ of MPs.
The Triple Talaq Bill on Thursday, December 27, After a long day of relentless debate, the Lok Sabha finally passed the Triple Talaq bill amid opposition uproar. While 245 voters were in favor of the bill, 11 voted against it. It may be noted that the Congress and AIADMK walked out from the Parliament as their demands to get it referred to a select committee was rejected.
The Apex Court had in August 2017 banned the instant divorce, calling the practice “unconstitutional”.