While the Triple Talaq bill was passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the leaders of Muslim political organisations including All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi, Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF) president Badruddin Ajmal and Indian Union Muslim League’s (IUML) E. T. Mohammed Basheer opposed it vehemently, claiming it was an attack on the constitutional rights of Muslims.
If your faith is your faith, then my faith should also be my faith: Owaisi
AIMIM’s Asaddudin Owaisi, questioned the government, which had cited the Supreme Court judgment to ban Triple Talaq, and pointed to the apex court’s judgment on the entry women in Sabarimala. “If your faith is your faith, then my faith should also be my faith. Your intentions are not clean… You can bring your own law, but we will not forfeit our religion,” Owaisi said.
Owaisi said: “I want to ask the government, what was your compulsion? The SC has decriminalised homosexuality. You are criminalising triple talaq… Why is this being done? Because it will be used against us …. The sexual minorities have been given the choice. Why should not religious minority be given the choice?… This is not for justice of Muslims.”
“I am opposing this Bill on the basis of Article 14, 15, 26 and 29, and the Preamble, where it has clearly been written that it guarantees liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship, of the Constitution.”
We will refer good books to BJP about Islam: Badruddin Ajmal
“We are opposing this bill. We will refer good books to BJP people to read about Islam. That will eradicate their misunderstanding. Triple talaq is not as big of an issue as it is presented in front of everyone”. Ajmal said.
Ruling party has brought in this Bill as a preview for uniform civil code: E. T Mohammed Basheer
E. T Mohammed Basheer (IUML) says marriage and divorce comes under the personal laws and the government cannot interfere. He says the Bill is unconstitutional.
He claims the ruling party has brought in this Bill as a preview for uniform civil code. You are building a smoke screen that Muslim men are harassing Muslim women, he says.
The opposition parties described provisions in the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill as “unconstitutional” and demanded that it be referred to a select committee, the government argued that the legislation aimed to empower and ensure justice for Muslim women.
Congress Leader Mallikarjun Kharge said it is “very important to go into details” of the Bill, as, he said, it is against several provisions of the Constitution — Articles 14 and 15, among others. “That is why it is a Constitutional matter” and “interferes with a religion,” he said, asking for the Bill to be referred to a joint select committee of Parliament.
The TMC, AIMIM, NCP, National Conference, AIADMK and the Left parties also demanded referring the Bill to a select committee.
Congress’s Sushmita Dev said, “This law is not about empowering Muslim women, it is about penalising a Muslim man.” She said the Supreme Court, while banning it, did not mention that instant triple talaq “has to be criminalised”.
AIADMK’s Anwhar Raajhaa asked, “Why is the husband being punished with such severity?” He called it unconstitutional and “against human rights and principles of natural justice”.
RJD’s Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav said he opposed the Bill and it must be sent to a Joint Select Committee. He said the Bill has been brought out of “arrogance”. The government is not willing to bring a Bill on mob lynching, he claimed.
The Bill, BJD’s Rabindra Kumar Jena said, is “targeted at a particular religion”, which puts a “question mark” on its “very constitutionality”. ” The Bill attempts at creating a class-specific legislation on grounds of religion instead of focusing on the larger issues of mistreatment and dissertation of wife and dependents, which affect all communities”.
“The Bill had been put in the House earlier and was sent for discussion, the report is awaited so what is the hurry to bring up the Bill again so quickly? Don’t criminalise a civil issue, he insists.” Mohammed Salim, CPIM said.
“You treat Muslim men as second class citizens, and you are talking about justice for Muslim women? Crocodile tears are being shed on behalf of Muslim women.The fight to abolish triple talaq has been on for over 50 years by progressive Muslim women groups, it did not start 5 years ago like our PM is claiming.” Salim said.
A P Jithender Reddy of TRS said, “It seems that under the pretext of protecting women’s rights, the government is breaching the trust established with the minority community.”
”No justification in issuing the ordinance – it is purely passed with political motives and an eye on 2019 elections. This is a very poorly-drafted Bill. It proposes criminalising a civil wrong – why is it valid only for Muslims and not Hindus and Christians?” RSP’s N. K. Premachandran said.
