NDA ally Janata Dal (United) on Thursday opposed the contentious Triple Talaq Bill and walked out of the Lok Sabha saying it will create distrust among a particular community.

Lok Sabha on Thursday took up for consideration the contentious bill to make the practice of instant triple talaq illegal with up to three years in jail for the husband.

"We do not support this bill as our party believes that if this bill is passed, it will create distrust among a particular community," party member Rajiv Ranjan Singh said during the debate on the Triple Talaq Bill.

"Nobody wants to see a husband and wife getting separated but if such a situation occurs, a couple takes the decision after due consent and trust. You cannot take decisions on their behalf by imposing such a law." Singh added.

He said instead of imposing such a law, the government should spread awareness among that particular community. The government should think of some other solution.

The BJD also opposed parts of the bill saying that certain issues need to be addressed. 

"Our party supports the Govt as far as the letter and intent of the bill is concerned, but certain issues including the issue of maintenance need to be addressed," BJD MP Anubhav Mohanty said. 

The Triple Talaq Bill was taken up for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad urging the House to pass it unanimously as it was a matter of "justice, respect and dignity of women" and not of politics and religion.

Prasad said that twenty Muslim countries had laws to regulate instant triple talaq and why should a secular country like India not have it.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, seeks to replace an ordinance promulgated earlier. 

Bill must for gender justice, says govt

Moving the bill for consideration, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the legislation was a must for gender equality and justice as despite an August 2017 Supreme Court verdict striking down the practice of instant triple talaq, women are being divorced by 'talaq-e-biddat'.

He said, since January 2017, as many as 574 triple talaq cases and since the Supreme Court order, more than 300 such cases were reported by the media.

Prasad said there were three different judgements of the five-judge bench of the court and in one of the judgements, the court said Triple Talaq is part of the 'Shariah' and a law should be enacted to end the practice.

"The core philosophy of our Constitution is gender justice, irrespective of religion. We want to give honour and justice to the women," he said.

The law minister asked the MPs not to see the proposed legislation through the prism of politics or religion.

Three ordinances have so been promulgated as a similar bill moved by the previous government could not get parliamentary nod.

A fresh bill was introduced by the new government in June during the ongoing Parliament session.

Under the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq will be illegal, void and would attract a jail term of three years for the husband. 

(With inputs from PTI, ANI)