Parliament LIVE: Sharad Pawar Says Fadnavis Govt Should Have Acted Decisively to Stop Koregaon Violence

What is being highlighted repeatedly by the Law Minister and various other leaders from the BJP reflects a view of the Supreme Court, which was overruled by majority of the judges on the Constitution Bench.

"We are not showing double standards in regard to the bill. We couldn't do much in Lok Sabha as we lack numbers. We will continue to create a pressure for sending the bill to a Select Committee," says Rajiv Shukla of Congress

According to sources, Centre will try to hold a debate at 6 pm on the triple talaq bill before sending to a Select Committee. The Bill which criminalises instant divorce among Muslims with a three year penal provision was passed by the Lok Sabha last week. Most of the opposition parties, including the Congress, had supported the passage of the Bill in the lower house with some reservations. BJP’s absolute majority in the Lok Sabha helped the ruling dispensation in the easy passage of legislation. The statute when brought to the Rajya Sabha faced some stiff resistance on Wednesday when a collective opposition insisted on sending the Bill to the Select Committee of the House.

With smaller regional parties like DMK, NCP, BJD, TMC and SP joining hands in seeking larger consultations, the government may it seems finally concede. The Select Committee with members from all major parties may delve into the legislation and present its report in the Budget Session of Parliament. Based on the recommendation of the committee, the government may amend the Bill in its attempt to seek a larger consensus of the issue.

Government’s position on the issue was articulated by leader of the House and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The BJP accused the opposition of impeding a “progressive legislation” which was passed and supported by the Congress in the LS. The government accused the Opposition of showing double standards. "The bill should not be referred to a select committee because two of the SC judges who said it was not unconsitutional but held it to be unfair, used their extraordinary power to suspend this practice for six months and the period would be over in February. It was suspended under Article 142. The court ‘beseeched’ all political parties and asked a law to be brought in."

Lack of numbers and consensus in the Rajya Sabha may force the Centre to send the Triple Talaq Bill to a Select Committee of the House. The Bill which criminalises instant divorce among Muslims with a three-year penal provision was passed by the Lok Sabha last week. Most of the opposition parties, including the Congress, had supported the passage of the Bill in the lower house with some reservations. BJP’s absolute majority in the Lok Sabha helped the ruling dispensation in the easy passage of legislation. The statute, when brought to the Rajya Sabha, faced some stiff resistance on Wednesday when a collective opposition insisted on sending the Bill to the Select Committee of the House.

The bill is likely to be introduced in the Rajya Sabha. There is potential for such amendments to be moved in the Rajya Sabha or reference to the Standing Committee for deliberation and consultation.

My appeal to people of Maharashtra is please maintain peace and stay away from violence, says Sambhaji Chhatrapati. The Maharashtra violence had marred the 200th-anniversary celebrations of Bhima-Koregaon battle in Pune on Monday spilled into Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

In the countdown to the Koregaon clashes, the narrative on the online platform - managed by amateur 'historians' - made the rift between the Marathas and Dalits quite apparent.

We should not see the Bhima-Koregaon as a political issue. Rather than politicising the issue,  we should try to control the situation and bring life back to normalcy. The state government will take strict action against the culprits, says Ramdas Athawala.

The people who don't know the history of Bhima-Koregaon battle is speaking more. Peshwa was not connected to RSS or any Hindu organisation. Some invisible hand was working to 'divide and rule" Bhima-Koregaon. We have to work together for strengthening the Country, says Shiv Sena

A Judicial enquiry has been ordered regarding the issue...There was an attack on the Samadhi of Dalit person... The whole country is hurt with violence in Bhima-Koregaon...No such incident happened in last 50 years... Maharashtra government should have taken special care... We appeal for peace, says NCP supremo and former Maharashtra chief minister Sharad Pawar

Maharashtra Bhima-Koregaon violence raised in Rajya Sabha by Congress MP Rajni Patil; SP's Naresh Agarwal also demands action and constitution of a Commission for a report on the matter. The event to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bhima Koregaon battle in Pune district, in which forces of the East Company defeated Peshwa's army, was marred by incidents of violence in which a passerby was lynched.

Congress MP Rajni Patil gives notice in Rajya Sabha under rule 267 over Bhima Koregaon incident. "Maharashtra is known as a peaceful state. Why Maharashtra government didn't respond to the incident at the right time," Patil said.

With the government introducing the Muslim Women (Protection of Marriage) Bill, 2017, questions have been raised in the Lok Sabha on the constitutional validity of the proposed legislation.

Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien said the BJP did not want the bill to be passed in the Rajya Sabha and its "double standards" were exposed when it "disrupted". "What happened in the Rajya Sabha was historic. The government created disruptions in the Rajya Sabha. They are not interested in passing the bill. The BJP is playing dirty politics over women, over religion. This is the only way to expose the double standards of the BJP." "We believe the bill should be passed. But before that it should be sent to a select committee as the government has not consulted any stakeholder. The select committee can meet different stakeholders, women organisations, get their views and improve the bill and then the bill can be passed," he said.

In the Upper House, opposition parties such as the Congress, TMC, CPI(M), CPI, SP, BSP, DMK, AIADMK and BJD, along with the BJP's ally TDP, today moved a motion asking the bill to be sent to a select committee.

Ghulam Nabi Azad further said the BJP is projecting itself as a "messiah" for Muslim women and claiming to be champions of their welfare and rights, but has not made any provision for their welfare. "This government is trying to mislead Muslim women and the general public," he alleged at a press conference. "What are they giving to Muslim women. They are merely projecting themselves as their 'messiah', but they are in fact only trying to befool the Muslim women," he said.

Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the opposition wanted the bill to be sent to a Select Committee that would help make it strong by offering support to Muslim women and by removing the criminality clause. Azad, on his part, said it is Parliament which decides on the floor if a bill will go to a select committee or not. He accused the BJP of "befooling" Muslim women with the triple talaq bill that seeks to make the practice a criminal offence, alleging that it has no provision for their welfare in case their husbands are jailed. Azad said 18 opposition parties, including the Congress, wanted the bill to be sent to a Select Committee for its proper scrutiny before it becomes a law but the government did not allow.

Jaitely on why it should not be referred to select committee

The bill should not be referred to a select committee because two of the SC judges who said it was not unconstitutional but held it to be unfair, used their extraordinary power to suspend this practice for six months and the period would be over in February and It was suspended under Article 142. The court ‘beseeched’ all political parties and asked a law to be brought in.  Some people have said that they will still defy the verdict and now the house must show responsibility so that unconstitutional practice can be stopped. I want a ruling from you is there any select committee in history which has no members from ruling party? There is an urgency that the bill shall be passed by Parliament. The reason behind such an urgency is that the practice is unlawful and nation expects urgency in such important issues.

Asked about the fate of the bill, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said, "We will see tomorrow when it comes before Parliament." "It is clear that the Congress Party is opposing the Triple Talaq Bill. The support they extended in Lok Sabha was a sham. Yesterday, was a golden moment for the House to end the injustice, but because of Congress it could not happen."  Jaitley lashed out at the Congress for "indirectly" opposing the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha and said Muslim women would continue to face injustice due to its attitude. He, however, exuded confidence that the Congress and other opposition parties would have to support the bill considering public opinion in the country.

The BJP accused the Congress and other parties of running away from a debate and stalling the bill that ensures gender justice to Muslim women. The Congress charged the ruling party with doing "politics" over the issue, saying it has nothing to offer to the hapless women. With only two days left for the winter session to end and with both sides adamant on their stand, the passage of the bill appears uncertain.

On Wednesday, Political parties indulged in a slugfest both inside and outside Parliament as a bill to ban instant triple talaq was tabled in the Rajya Sabha, amid uncertainty over its fate with only two days of the winter session being left. While the government wanted a debate on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill in the Rajya Sabha, the opposition wanted it to be sent to a Select Committee for scrutiny before it is a made a law. The Lok Sabha has passed the Bill last week.