The Women Wing of All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Tuesday criticized the amended Triple Talaq Bill that was passed in Lok Sabha in 2018. The Wing claimed that the amended version of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, was self-contradictory and contrary to many prevailing laws of the country.
The new Bill deemed the practice ‘illegal’, with the husband supposedly facing a prison sentence of three years. The BJP led government had many amendments to the original Bill after it faced a lot of criticism from opposition parties as the earlier don’t have the provision of Bail.
Terming the Bill as ‘ill Drafted’, AIMPLB Women Wing Chief Dr. Asma Zohra on Tuesday said,” “We oppose and condemn Triple Talaq Bill which is likely to be tabled for the second time in Rajya Sabha tomorrow (Wednesday).”The proposed ill-drafted bill may break marriages rather than empowering women” she added.
She added that “the BJP led Centre Government has not taken the stakeholders into consideration and brought this bill with communal intention. The marriage is a civil contract in Muslims and the bill is not going to help the Muslim women in any way.”
Dr Zehra said that the Section 3 of the Bill said “any pronouncement of talaq by a Muslim husband upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal,” while Section 6 said, “Muslim woman shall be entitled to custody of her minor children in the event of pronouncement of talaq by her husband, in such manner as may be determined by the Magistrate”.
Claiming it as self Contrary as per existing laws which authorized the magistrate to decide who would be suitable for custody of children between a litigating couple after considering the circumstances.
While addressing a Press Conference, She said, If the bill gets a nod at the upper House then it is going to break the institution of marriage and it’s going to create a divide in the family. The civil contract of marriage will turn into a criminal offence at the time of divorce. It is totally against the law of this country.”
Throwing a question of Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, She asked how could a person provide an amount of allowance for his wife and dependent children during his confinement period in jail as about 70 percent of Muslims living below the poverty line.
Prof. Jameelunnisa, Ms Tahniyat Ather (members of AIMPLB), former president Sharia Committee Dr. Tahseen M. Ahmed, executive member Sharia Committee, Mrs Ruqayya Farzana, secretary, Muslim Women Development, Asma Nadeem, and others were also present in the Press Conference.
The Indian Muslim Personal Law Board members have met Leaders of many opposition parties in a run to Triple Talaq Bill row.
The Rajya Sabha on Monday failed to initiate a discussion on the sensitive Bill amid uproar from the opposition and adjourned the proceedings till Wednesday.