Union Cabinet clears Bill on instant triple talaq

The Union cabinet has cleared a Bill to ban the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims.

The Bill titled "The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill" proposes to make the practice of triple talaq a criminal offence.

The government, which has backed the Muslim women seeking an end to the practice, hopes to get it passed in the winter session of the Parliament which commenced today.

The Supreme Court, in its verdict on instant triple talaq, had banned the practice.

The top court had called the Islamic practice as "unconstitutional" in its verdict.

The Bill was drafted by an inter-ministerial group headed by home minister Rajnath Singh. Other members of the group included finance minister Arun Jaitley, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and junior law minister P P Chaudhary.

According to the Bill, a woman who has been divorced through triple talaq, can seek maintenance from her husband by approaching a magistrate.

A number of political parties and orgainstaions have opposed the bill and instead want the reforms to be initiated from within the community.