Parliament HIGHLIGHTS: Triple Talaq Bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha tomorrow

Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha today. (Source: file photo/ Prashant Nadka)

After Lok Sabha last week passed the Triple Talaq Bill to criminalise the practice of ‘instant talaq’, it will be taken up for discussion in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The government, which has been leaving no stone unturned to get the Bill ratified as a law, has issued a three-line whip to its MPs, asking them to be present in Parliament for the next two days. The bill gives legal right to Muslim women against talaq-e-biddat or instant Triple Talaq and makes the practice a “cognizable and non-bailable offence”.

Meanwhile, the parliament on Tuesday was rocked by questions over NPAs, cryptocurrencies, Pulwama attacks and increasing cases of ceasefire violations in Kashmir.

Opposition members have raised their concern over the award of three years of jail term for a Muslim man if he says talaq thrice to his wife. In his first remarks on Triple Talaq Bill after it was passed by Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that after years of suffering women from Muslim community have finally found a way to free themselves.

Parliament HIGHLIGHTS:

4:30 pm: Rajya Sabha created a record by completing all Zero Hour business. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu too lauded the members for the completion of business in the proceedings. “The Rajya Sabha today made a history. For the first time, all Zero Hour submissions, all Special Mentions were fully completed,” he said.

3:40 pm: Senior Congress leader P.Chidambaram speaks on The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code(Amendment) Ordinance, 2017.

3:30 pm: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley moves The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (Amendment) Bill, 2017.

02:22 pm: Congress supports the amendment in Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code which was passed last year.

02:14 pm: The NMC Bill has been sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee, informs Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar in Lok Sabha.

02:00 pm: Proceedings in Rajya Sabha underway after adjournment.

01:35 pm: The government wants to get the Triple talaq Bill passed in the ongoing Winter Session of the Parliament. With just three more days left in the session, the bill will be tabled on Wednesday.

Former Union Minister P Chidambaram outside the Parliament building on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain)

01:25 pm: The Rajya Sabha has been suspended till 2 pm after the completion of question hour.

Defence Minister N Sitharaman outside the Parliament on Tuesday. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain)

01:20 pm: The government is rallying to garner support from the opposition to get the triple talaq bill passed in Rajya Sabha. The bill will be tabled in the Upper House tomorrow.

12:57 am: Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2:00 PM.

12:55 am: In the Lok Sabha, MoS Home Hansraj Ahir compares the death toll of terrorists during UPA and current NDA rule. Ahir said that 580 terrorists have been killed since 2014, while only 471 during 2010-2013.

12:45 am: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley attacked the opposition and said that it is absolutely clear that the bulk of the NPAs today have arisen out of loans which were given prior to April 01, 2014.

12:41 pm: Opposition demands a forensic audit of the banks in the grant of loans leading to NPAs.

12:38 pm: Congress tries to corner the government on Non Performing Assets, saying government tried to project it a scam during the UPA rule. Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram demands figure on how many loans given by banks after April 2014 that have become NPA. Members raise questions on increasing number of NPAs.

12:35 pm: During the Zero hour in Lok Sabha Congress MP Jyotiraditya Scindia raised the issue of Pulwama attack. Scindia asked the government, “Why did the government not act on information it received?” referring to NSA Ajit Doval’s meeting with his Pakistani counterpart in Thailand.

12:33 pm: Question hour dominated by questions and inquiries on cryptocurrencies. The Finance Minister clarified that cryptocurrencies are not legal tender in the country. An expert group is studying about the cryptocurrencies and the report is awaited.

12:19 pm: Question Hour in progress in the Upper House of the Parliament.

11:57 am: Arun Jaitley speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Goods & Services Tax.

11:41 am: According to the government, 66 cases of instant triple talaq have been reported after the Supreme Court verdict.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal outside the Parliament as proceedings set to begin in Rajya Sabha. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain)

11:40 am: The Bill has been cleared from the Lok Sabha where the government enjoys the majority. The bill once passed by the Rajya Sabha will be sent to the President of India for his final approval to enact the bill into law.

Former Union Law Minister Kapil Sibal arrives at the Parliament ahead of the Triple Talaq Bill to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha. (Express Photo by Praveen Jain)

11:23 am: While the Congress has largely been in favour of the bill, it will be interesting to see it supports the bid to send the bill to Select Committee today or not.

11:21 am: Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad has convened a meeting of Congress leaders as well as other parties in his Parliament chamber today before the bill is taken up.

11:20 am: The Congress has now said that it will consult a larger opposition before finalising its stand on the contentious bill to ban instant triple talaq.

11:15 am: A five-judge Constitution bench was set up to hear the plea in May 2017. The court initially consulted with the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) whether it was possible to introduce the option for women to say ‘no’ to Triple Talaq. READ HERE

11:13 am: It all began on a plea filed by six petitioners which included Shayara Bano, Ishrat Jahan, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan, Gulshan Parween, Aafreen Rehman, and Atiya Sabri.

10:39 am: AIADMK, DMK and others have noted their reservations over the bill and want it to be referred to a Select Committee.

10:37 am: The government is in talks with the opposition trying to garner support in Rajya Sabha. The NDA does not have a majority in the Upper House.

10:33 am: Meanwhile, a Muslim has been attacked in Rampur for denying divorce.

10:30 am: The bill is facing reservations from some opposition parties over its misuse by women in the future.

10:23 am: The way triple talaq bill was passed in Lok Sabha, it will be passed in Rajya Sabha too with constructive debate and discussion, hope opposition including Congress supports it: Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

10.00 am: NCP has already made it clear that we are entirely against criminalisation. A marriage in Islam is a civil contract, you can’t impose sentence of 3 years on improper talaq given by husband to wife. Let it go for reconsideration to Select Committee: Majeed Memon, NCP.

9:01 am: The Bill proposes that in light of the judgment, the pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat (instant triple talaq) will be “void and illegal”, meaning it would have no legal effect. So whether a Muslim man utters the word ‘talaq’ three times or a million times, it will have no legal effect and the marriage remains intact, opines  Salman Anees Soz. READ HERE 

8:59 am: Welcome to the Indian Express Live Blog.