'Congress Hypocrisy Exposed,' Says Government After Triple Talaq Bill Is Deferred In Rajya Sabha

New Delhi:  The landmark triple talaq bill was tabled today in the Rajya Sabha, but the house was adjourned amid stormy sparring between the government and opposition and before it could vote on whether it should be sent to a parliamentary committee for review.

It was the ruling BJP that forced the house to be adjourned before a vote on the opposition's resolution to send the bill to a select committee, which will mean that it will not get passed in the current winter session, that ends on Friday.

The government has said it wants the bill passed in this session and has been pushing for a debate on the bill in the upper house to "expose the double standards of the Congress," before an inevitable surrender on account of the opposition's superior numbers in the Rajya Sabha.

The bill, which makes the instant triple talaq a criminal offence and recommends a three-year jail term for Muslim men who divorce their wives by saying talaq thrice, sailed through last week in the Lok Sabha, where the government has a big majority. The BJP has pointed out that the Congress had not opposed the bill in the Lok Sabha.

"Incidents of triple talaq are still happening. The Congress is not ready for a discussion. It wants to keep the bill pending. The double standard of the Congress has been revealed. It is a matter of deep regret," said Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, stressing that passing the triple talaq bill "is a matter of women's dignity."
 The Congress insisted today that its proposal to move the bill to the select committee be taken up immediately after the bill was tabled, a demand challenged by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who said the party "was breaking all conventions."

"Parliament can't be a rubber stamp," said the Congress's Anand Sharma, defending his party's move. The Congress was backed by the Left and Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress. It also has the support on this of parties like the AIADMK and Biju Janata Dal, which usually help the government pass bills in the upper house.

Even the government's own allies like the Shiv Sena and TDP have asked for the bill to be sent to a select committee.

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The Congress had last week repeatedly urged the government to refer the bill to a standing committee for review when it came up in the Lok Sabha. It has been careful to underline that it strongly backs any move to abolish the triple talaq, but wants provisions to be strengthened to effectively safeguard the interests of women.

The Congress and other parties have opposed the provision for a three-year jail term in the bill arguing that if a man who abandons his family goes to jail, he will not be able to provide for them. There are also concerns that if the law is passed, it would give anyone the right to complain to the police about the triple talaq to register a case and arrest the man.