A pre-budget meeting was held on Sunday and attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other union ministers. The government emphasized its focus on passing the triple talaq bill and urged for cooperation from leaders. BJP-led NDA government will push the triple talaq bill in the budget session of Parliament starting on Monday but is likely to face a stiff challenge from the Opposition, which stalled the legislation in the Rajya Sabha in the winter session. Government looks forward to talking and bringing consensus on the issue.
PTI reported that in addition to the triple talaq bill, a bill for Other Backward Classes Commission constitutional status will be the government’s priorities during the Budget Session of Parliament.
The budget session began on Monday, with President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to a joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament. Following the joint address, the economic survey was tabled in both the houses.
Calling the all-party meeting fruitful, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged political leaders at the meeting to ensure the success of the budget session.”
Adding that
“Government will do everything to ensure passage of the triple talaq bill in the session.”
We hope the Triple Talaq Bill is passed in Rajya Sabha too. My colleagues & I will leave no stone unturned in talking to and convincing the political parties. The way they have passed GST unanimously, we request them to pass this too unanimously: Ananth Kumar pic.twitter.com/Yzi2rlF9fZ
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2018
From the Opposition’s Desk
From the opposition side, Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, Communist Party of India’s (Marxist) D Raja, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Kanimozhi, Derek O’Brien and Sudip Bandhopadhyay from the Trinamool Congress, and Tariq Anwar from the Nationalist Congress Party were present. A PTI report said that the Opposition leaders will counter the government on issues of rapes, attack on constitutional institutions and the plight of traders.
Meanwhile, the Congress leader Pramod Tiwari said,
“We want to raise these issues as they are important. The government should adopt a cooperative attitude and allow the opposition to raise these issues.”
The Lok Sabha on December 28 passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, making instant triple talaq a crime and up to three years of jail time and a penalty for violators. The ruling party, however, failed to convince the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in minority. BJP seeks the opposition to change its stand and have the bill forwarded to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny.
Further concerns the opposition raised were over the jail term, and the provider for the family if the husband was in prison. They want the legislation to include provisions for financial aid to Muslim women and suggested government aid also. Members expressed concern over the penal clause suggesting misused in the name of the personal law.
The Supreme Court has held the practice of instant divorce as illegal and unconstitutional. It has however not ruled on or suggested criminalizing the practice.