DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Friday urged the Central Government to refer to the Parliament Standing Committee the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 criminalising instant triple talaq.
Alleging that the three-year imprisonment clause had shown that the government was not really interested in the welfare of Muslim women, he said, “The Supreme Court, in its August 22 order, only suggested enactment of a law against triple talaq and had not recommended imprisonment.”
Explaining that the DMK, an offshoot of the Dravidian Movement, always stood for protecting the personal rights of Muslim women, Mr. Stalin said the government’s attempt to interfere with the Shariat law and religion had raised many doubts. “If the BJP government is particular about ensuring the rights of Muslim women, the Union Law Minister should have held consultations with Muslim organisations and the All India Muslim Law Board. If it is not interested in holding talks with them, it could have referred it to the Parliament Standing Committee for consultation. The argument of the Law Minister (in Parliament) only showed that the government sought to use its majority in the Lok Sabha (to pass the Bill) and it does not augur well for democracy,” he added.
Mr. Stalin said the government should have taken into consideration the unity of the nation and the interest of the Muslim women and sent the Bill to the Parliament Standing Committee. “Introducing it as a criminal Bill was unacceptable. The BJP government, that has kept in abeyance the women’s reservation Bill, should think about it,” he said.
MJK opposes Bill
The Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi (MJK) and the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) too have strongly criticised the triple talaq Bill and have demanded its repeal. In a statement, MJK general secretary and MLA M. Thamimun Ansari said that the criminalisation of triple talaq infringed on the constitutional rights of Muslims. The Central government was wrong to have ignored the concerns of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, he said.
Mr. Ansari noted that various Parliamentarians had raised concerns about the Bill. He said the MJK would join hands with various democratic forces against the Bill in its current format.
MMK leader M.H. Jawahirullah said the Bill was a blot on the Constitution.
