<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said the Centre was committed to making a law on triple talaq despite facing "hurdles" from "hardliners" and opposition parties.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also asserted that women were the biggest beneficiaries of the many schemes launched by his government.</p>

<p>"Nearly all big schemes are anyhow empowering women. The government has framed new schemes and rectified existing ones. Through the schemes and laws, we are moving towards women empowerment today. This has created trust," Modi said.</p>

<p>Speaking at the fifth national convention of BJP Mahila Morcha, he targeted the Congress, saying women's welfare was never a priority of the previous governments.</p>

<p><br />
The prime minister also talked about his government's resolve to make the law on triple talaq.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Despite all hurdles and opposition from hardliners and opposition parties, the government is committed to making a law on triple talaq," Modi said.</p>

<p>The Lok Sabha is expected to take up the triple talaq Bill for discussion on December 27 during the ongoing winter session of Parliament.</p>

<p>The government had issued an ordinance in September pending the passage of the Bill in a revised form.</p>

<p>The current Bill will supersede a previous Bill passed in the Lower House and held up in Rajya Sabha. In view of opposition to the Bill from various parties, the government has cleared some amendments, including introduction of a provision of bail for husbands who give instant triple talaq.</p>

<p>"We are committed so that Muslim women can get rid of a big life threat. No just that. In order for Muslim women to go to Haj (pilgrimage), we have removed the clause that men need to accompany them", he said.</p>

<p>The prime minister said the women of the country have given the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the opportunity "with great hope and trust after trying all other options".</p>

<p>"After exploring various options in the last six to seven decades, the people of the country -- our sisters and daughters -- reposed faith in the BJP. Previous governments did not do anything to provide even basic facilities to women and just made promises," Modi said.</p>

<p>Those who ruled India for 60-70 years failed to provide basic things for women's welfare, he said, adding the previous governments just kept waiting for the right time to usher in social reforms and change in attitude towards women.</p>

<p>"The country knows very well the approach and thinking of those who could not even have it as their priority to provide basic facilities to women in all these years. The country knows what their intentions and thoughts were.</p>

<p>"The political party that remained in power since decades only waited for time to come to bring about social changes and thinking regarding women. They were busy making promises", he said, targeting the Congress.</p>

<p>In the last four years, society's view towards girl child and women empowerment has undergone a positive change, the prime minister said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"For the first time, the government's flagship schemes are focusing on women," he said while referring to programmes like Swachh Bharat programme, Ujjwala scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), wherein 75 per cent owners of the houses are women.</p>

<p>"Eighteen crore of the total Jan Dhan bank accounts belong to women," he said, adding that the male-female sex ratio has also improved, especially in Haryana, which has had a dubious record in the past.</p>

<p>Modi said the cabinet committee on security affairs for the first time included two women. "Besides, women have been inducted as fighter pilots in Air Force. There is a woman officer wing in the Navy. The government passed anti-trafficking bill and capital punishment will be given to rape convicts of minors," he said.</p>

<p>Modi added that the country's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had initiated women's empowerment as president of the Ahmedabad Municipality before Independence.</p>

<p>He said the BJP enjoys confidence of the people of the country from panchayat-level to Parliament.</p>

<p>Modi said his government was taking steps to empower women through schemes launched in the last four-and-half years.</p>

<p>"Since the last many decades, you have struggled with women-related issues. This government is working (as it is) guided by the expression of this struggle. This is being expressed in the government's programmes since the last 4.5 years," he said.</p>

<p>He said the women's participation in decision-making process in the country has gone up due to the efforts of his government.</p>

<p>"Schemes such as Swachh Bharat Mission targeted women by providing them toilets or 'ijjat ghars' where they can go freely without fear of being stalked," the prime minister said.</p>

<p>Modi also said that his government brought down inflation, which came as a "relief to women, making it easier for them to manage the households".</p>

<p>The PM praised the BJP government in Haryana for improving the gender ratio, saying it was the result of the success of the 'Beti bachao, Beti padhao' initiative.</p>

<p>He also lauded the erstwhile Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh for ensuring that courts pass orders in two to three months in cases of rape of minor girls.&nbsp;</p>


Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said the Centre was committed to making a law on triple talaq despite facing "hurdles" from "hardliners" and opposition parties.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said the Centre was committed to making a law on triple talaq despite facing "hurdles" from "hardliners" and opposition parties. He also asserted that women were the biggest beneficiaries of the many schemes launched by his government. "Nearly all big schemes are anyhow empowering women. The government has framed new schemes and rectified existing ones. Through the schemes and laws, we are moving towards women empowerment today. This has created trust," Modi said. Speaking at the fifth national convention of BJP Mahila Morcha, he targeted the Congress, saying women's welfare was never a priority of the previous governments. The prime minister also talked about his government's resolve to make the law on triple talaq. "Despite all hurdles and opposition from hardliners and opposition parties, the government is committed to making a law on triple talaq," Modi said. The Lok Sabha is expected to take up the triple talaq Bill for discussion on December 27 during the ongoing winter session of Parliament. The government had issued an ordinance in September pending the passage of the Bill in a revised form. The current Bill will supersede a previous Bill passed in the Lower House and held up in Rajya Sabha. In view of opposition to the Bill from various parties, the government has cleared some amendments, including introduction of a provision of bail for husbands who give instant triple talaq. "We are committed so that Muslim women can get rid of a big life threat. No just that. In order for Muslim women to go to Haj (pilgrimage), we have removed the clause that men need to accompany them", he said. The prime minister said the women of the country have given the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) the opportunity "with great hope and trust after trying all other options". "After exploring various options in the last six to seven decades, the people of the country -- our sisters and daughters -- reposed faith in the BJP. Previous governments did not do anything to provide even basic facilities to women and just made promises," Modi said. Those who ruled India for 60-70 years failed to provide basic things for women's welfare, he said, adding the previous governments just kept waiting for the right time to usher in social reforms and change in attitude towards women. "The country knows very well the approach and thinking of those who could not even have it as their priority to provide basic facilities to women in all these years. The country knows what their intentions and thoughts were. "The political party that remained in power since decades only waited for time to come to bring about social changes and thinking regarding women. They were busy making promises", he said, targeting the Congress. In the last four years, society's view towards girl child and women empowerment has undergone a positive change, the prime minister said. "For the first time, the government's flagship schemes are focusing on women," he said while referring to programmes like Swachh Bharat programme, Ujjwala scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), wherein 75 per cent owners of the houses are women. "Eighteen crore of the total Jan Dhan bank accounts belong to women," he said, adding that the male-female sex ratio has also improved, especially in Haryana, which has had a dubious record in the past. Modi said the cabinet committee on security affairs for the first time included two women. "Besides, women have been inducted as fighter pilots in Air Force. There is a woman officer wing in the Navy. The government passed anti-trafficking bill and capital punishment will be given to rape convicts of minors," he said. Modi added that the country's first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had initiated women's empowerment as president of the Ahmedabad Municipality before Independence. He said the BJP enjoys confidence of the people of the country from panchayat-level to Parliament. Modi said his government was taking steps to empower women through schemes launched in the last four-and-half years. "Since the last many decades, you have struggled with women-related issues. This government is working (as it is) guided by the expression of this struggle. This is being expressed in the government's programmes since the last 4.5 years," he said. He said the women's participation in decision-making process in the country has gone up due to the efforts of his government. "Schemes such as Swachh Bharat Mission targeted women by providing them toilets or 'ijjat ghars' where they can go freely without fear of being stalked," the prime minister said. Modi also said that his government brought down inflation, which came as a "relief to women, making it easier for them to manage the households". The PM praised the BJP government in Haryana for improving the gender ratio, saying it was the result of the success of the 'Beti bachao, Beti padhao' initiative. He also lauded the erstwhile Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in Madhya Pradesh for ensuring that courts pass orders in two to three months in cases of rape of minor girls.

Government committed to making law on triple talaq: PM Modi

<p>A woman has lodged a complaint alleging that her husband had divorced her by pronouncing "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-ordinance-why-no-similar-penal-provisions-for-hindu-men-deserting-women-asks-opposition-166709">triple talaq</a>" over phone, police said.</p>

<p>Based on the complaint filed by the woman, an investigation is underway, J Manjula, Inspector of Police, Women's police station at Central Crime Station.</p>

<p>We are consulting legal experts to ascertain whether a case can be booked under the recent <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-ordinance-challenged-supreme-court-167593">Ordinance on triple talaq</a>, she told PTI.</p>

<p>In the complaint, the victim stated that she got married in January 2017 and her husband Mohammed Muzammil started harassing her just after one month of the marriage.</p>

<p>He intensified the torture after a girl child was born in February this year.</p>

<p>"On November 28, he (husband) called me on WhatsApp and abused. He pronounced talaq, talaq and talaq and disconnected the call. I need justice. I came to know that he is looking to get married with another woman," she said.</p>

<p>The police official further said they are seeking cyber experts assistance also to crack the WhatsApp call data.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court had struck down the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims as "void," "illegal" and "unconstitutional"</p>

<p>Earlier this week, the central government had introduced a fresh bill in the Lok Sabha to make triple talaq a penal offence.</p>

<p>The bill replaces an ordinance issued in September.</p>


A woman has lodged a complaint alleging that her husband had divorced her by pronouncing "triple talaq" over phone, police said. Based on the complaint filed by the woman, an investigation is underway, J Manjula, Inspector of Police, Women's police station at Central Crime Station.

A woman has lodged a complaint alleging that her husband had divorced her by pronouncing "triple talaq" over phone, police said. Based on the complaint filed by the woman, an investigation is underway, J Manjula, Inspector of Police, Women's police station at Central Crime Station. We are consulting legal experts to ascertain whether a case can be booked under the recent Ordinance on triple talaq, she told PTI. In the complaint, the victim stated that she got married in January 2017 and her husband Mohammed Muzammil started harassing her just after one month of the marriage. He intensified the torture after a girl child was born in February this year. "On November 28, he (husband) called me on WhatsApp and abused. He pronounced talaq, talaq and talaq and disconnected the call. I need justice. I came to know that he is looking to get married with another woman," she said. The police official further said they are seeking cyber experts assistance also to crack the WhatsApp call data. The Supreme Court had struck down the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims as "void," "illegal" and "unconstitutional" Earlier this week, the central government had introduced a fresh bill in the Lok Sabha to make triple talaq a penal offence. The bill replaces an ordinance issued in September.

Hyderabad: Woman accuses husband of triple talaq over phone

<p>The Uttar Pradesh BJP will soon be appointing about 100 women as 'teen talaq pramukhs' across the state to ensure rehabilitation of the victims and their children, a party leader said Sunday.</p>

<p>Nazia Alam, secretary of UP Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) minority wing, who will be the overall in-charge, said triple talaq pramukhs will be appointed for each of the 93 'organisational districts' and six regional units of the saffron party in the state.</p>

<p>"Educated women who have sound knowledge of Shariat and law and who can bring a social change in the lives of the victims of triple talaq will be appointed as pramukhs," Alam told PTI.</p>

<p>"Each of the 93 organisational districts and six regional units will have a triple talaq pramukh and some of the victims are already working with us to eradicate this social evil," she added.</p>

<p>Alam said the candidates will likely be finalised after Diwali followed by a survey in December to ascertain the total number of triple talaq victims in the state.</p>

<p>"We will carry out a survey, by the end of December, to know the exact number of victims of triple talaq in every district. Our work is likely to begin after Deepawali," she said.<br />
She further said that efforts will also be made to assist the integration of talaq victims with Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) in a bid to make them self-dependent.</p>

<p>The PMKVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with the objective to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood.</p>

<p>"We will also seek information from the victims as to what do they actually need, be it education and health-related needs for their children or employment-related things for themselves," she said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Nazia further said that the minority wing of the BJP will also launch awareness campaigns to dispel the wrong notions surrounding the holy Quran and Shariat.&nbsp;</p>


The Uttar Pradesh BJP will soon be appointing about 100 women as 'teen talaq pramukhs' across the state to ensure rehabilitation of the victims and their children, a party leader said Sunday.

The Uttar Pradesh BJP will soon be appointing about 100 women as 'teen talaq pramukhs' across the state to ensure rehabilitation of the victims and their children, a party leader said Sunday. Nazia Alam, secretary of UP Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) minority wing, who will be the overall in-charge, said triple talaq pramukhs will be appointed for each of the 93 'organisational districts' and six regional units of the saffron party in the state. "Educated women who have sound knowledge of Shariat and law and who can bring a social change in the lives of the victims of triple talaq will be appointed as pramukhs," Alam told PTI. "Each of the 93 organisational districts and six regional units will have a triple talaq pramukh and some of the victims are already working with us to eradicate this social evil," she added. Alam said the candidates will likely be finalised after Diwali followed by a survey in December to ascertain the total number of triple talaq victims in the state. "We will carry out a survey, by the end of December, to know the exact number of victims of triple talaq in every district. Our work is likely to begin after Deepawali," she said. She further said that efforts will also be made to assist the integration of talaq victims with Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) in a bid to make them self-dependent. The PMKVY is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship with the objective to enable a large number of Indian youth to take up industry-relevant skill training that will help them in securing a better livelihood. "We will also seek information from the victims as to what do they actually need, be it education and health-related needs for their children or employment-related things for themselves," she said. Nazia further said that the minority wing of the BJP will also launch awareness campaigns to dispel the wrong notions surrounding the holy Quran and Shariat.

BJP to appoint 100 women as 'tripe talaq pramukhs' in UP

<p>In later years, those desirous of visiting the Supreme Court of India’s landmark verdicts that enforced gender equality and the Right to Live with Dignity can find plenty of material if they only delve into September 2018. The gush of judgements has left most people dazzled and some disgruntled. Reactions varied, from uninhibited praise to outright disapproval. Nonetheless, the apex court’s performance gave people in general an occasion to reiterate their faith in the judiciary.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In some instances the court demolished established traditions, in another, it overturned its earlier verdict — because those rulings had failed in the constitutional test. Seizing upon the convenience at hand, political parties have reacted differently. So have social organisations and activists of varied hues. &nbsp;</p>

<p>There were three verdicts last month, which were of a social-churning nature to the extent of ensuring gender justice, and they are perhaps all the more significant because they have set the tone for an India where equality and a life with dignity are not to be confined to statute books, but be seen where they are needed the most. They are important also because they have come despite stiff resistance from vested groups — social, religious and political. Some of them are already preparing to seek judicial reviews against the orders.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The first pathbreaking ruling to come was the court’s decision to decriminalise same-sex relationships. The LGBT community had been for years waging a battle against the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that had turned them into criminals over their sexual orientation. In 2009, the Delhi High Court had shown the way by striking down the criminality clause, in the Naz Foundation case.<br />
<br />
The High Court had said that the Section relating to criminality violated Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India. But its efforts went in vain as the Supreme Court restored the criminal provision. Early last month, the court showed courage in overturning its own verdict on the ground that the criminalisation part of Section 377 violated the right to equality and the right to live with dignity — both enshrined in the Constitution as fundamental rights. It can now be proudly said that India is no longer on the list of 70-plus nations that criminalise same-sex relationships.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The second historic ruling of a social kind was another instance of decriminalisation: That of adultery. The apex court knocked down Section 497 of the IPC on the grounds that the provision had not treated men and women equally, that it was arbitrary, and that it was violative of the right to equality and the right to equal opportunity to women. One of the judges on the five-judge Bench, Justice RF Nariman, stated that it violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The judges agreed that adultery can be a civil offence, and be cited as a reason for divorce etc.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the third instance of a similar kind, in the last week of September, a five-judge Bench through a majority verdict, directed that the venerated Sabarimala temple in Kerala be opened up for women of all ages. Certain provisions of the Kerala Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965, which apply to the Sabarimala temple, banned women of menstruating age from entering the shrine, reigned supreme until now. &nbsp;</p>

<p>It does seem that the Supreme Court has with a messianic zeal, decided to break old, though far from rusty, shackles. These three judgements were preceded by another historic court ruling, rendering as unconstitutional the practice of instant triple divorce (by the male, of course) among Indian Muslims. One does hope that more such verdicts will follow, and contribute to the creation of as equal a society as is possible.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
<em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


In later years, those desirous of visiting the Supreme Court of India’s landmark verdicts that enforced gender equality and the Right to Live with Dignity can find plenty of material if they only delve into September 2018.

In later years, those desirous of visiting the Supreme Court of India’s landmark verdicts that enforced gender equality and the Right to Live with Dignity can find plenty of material if they only delve into September 2018. The gush of judgements has left most people dazzled and some disgruntled. Reactions varied, from uninhibited praise to outright disapproval. Nonetheless, the apex court’s performance gave people in general an occasion to reiterate their faith in the judiciary. In some instances the court demolished established traditions, in another, it overturned its earlier verdict — because those rulings had failed in the constitutional test. Seizing upon the convenience at hand, political parties have reacted differently. So have social organisations and activists of varied hues. There were three verdicts last month, which were of a social-churning nature to the extent of ensuring gender justice, and they are perhaps all the more significant because they have set the tone for an India where equality and a life with dignity are not to be confined to statute books, but be seen where they are needed the most. They are important also because they have come despite stiff resistance from vested groups — social, religious and political. Some of them are already preparing to seek judicial reviews against the orders. The first pathbreaking ruling to come was the court’s decision to decriminalise same-sex relationships. The LGBT community had been for years waging a battle against the provisions of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) that had turned them into criminals over their sexual orientation. In 2009, the Delhi High Court had shown the way by striking down the criminality clause, in the Naz Foundation case. The High Court had said that the Section relating to criminality violated Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India. But its efforts went in vain as the Supreme Court restored the criminal provision. Early last month, the court showed courage in overturning its own verdict on the ground that the criminalisation part of Section 377 violated the right to equality and the right to live with dignity — both enshrined in the Constitution as fundamental rights. It can now be proudly said that India is no longer on the list of 70-plus nations that criminalise same-sex relationships. The second historic ruling of a social kind was another instance of decriminalisation: That of adultery. The apex court knocked down Section 497 of the IPC on the grounds that the provision had not treated men and women equally, that it was arbitrary, and that it was violative of the right to equality and the right to equal opportunity to women. One of the judges on the five-judge Bench, Justice RF Nariman, stated that it violated Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution. The judges agreed that adultery can be a civil offence, and be cited as a reason for divorce etc. In the third instance of a similar kind, in the last week of September, a five-judge Bench through a majority verdict, directed that the venerated Sabarimala temple in Kerala be opened up for women of all ages. Certain provisions of the Kerala Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965, which apply to the Sabarimala temple, banned women of menstruating age from entering the shrine, reigned supreme until now. It does seem that the Supreme Court has with a messianic zeal, decided to break old, though far from rusty, shackles. These three judgements were preceded by another historic court ruling, rendering as unconstitutional the practice of instant triple divorce (by the male, of course) among Indian Muslims. One does hope that more such verdicts will follow, and contribute to the creation of as equal a society as is possible. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Dazzling array of Supreme Court verdicts enforces gender justice and dignity 

<p>A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2018 which seeks to criminalize the practice of Triple Talaq, reported news agency ANI.</p>

<p>The petition has been filed by the Samastha Kerala Jam’eyyath ul-Ulama, a religious organisation of the Sunni Muslim scholars and clerics based in Kerala, the report added.</p>

<p>The petitioner has prayed that the Triple Talaq ordinance be struck down as it violates Articles 14, 15 and 21. It further contends that the ordinance was promulgated by a misuse of Article 123 of the Constitution.</p>

<p>This petition comes close on the heels of a similar petition filed in the Bombay High Court, challenging the Triple Talaq Ordinance as being “illegal, null, void, unreasonable and arbitrary.”</p>

<p>The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 was passed in the Lok Sabha in December last year. However, the Bill did not see the light of day as Opposition in the Rajya Sabha expressed reservations over some provisions.</p>

<p>The Centre, therefore, took the Ordinance route, introducing a few changes to the 2017 Bill.</p>

<p>One of the changes introduced is that the police can lodge an FIR only if approached by the victim, her blood relations, or people who become her relatives by virtue of marriage.</p>

<p>Further, the offence has now been made non-compoundable, where a magistrate can use his powers to settle the dispute.</p>


A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2018 which seeks to criminalize the practice of Triple Talaq, reported news agency ANI.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Ordinance, 2018 which seeks to criminalize the practice of Triple Talaq, reported news agency ANI. The petition has been filed by the Samastha Kerala Jam’eyyath ul-Ulama, a religious organisation of the Sunni Muslim scholars and clerics based in Kerala, the report added. The petitioner has prayed that the Triple Talaq ordinance be struck down as it violates Articles 14, 15 and 21. It further contends that the ordinance was promulgated by a misuse of Article 123 of the Constitution. This petition comes close on the heels of a similar petition filed in the Bombay High Court, challenging the Triple Talaq Ordinance as being “illegal, null, void, unreasonable and arbitrary.” The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 was passed in the Lok Sabha in December last year. However, the Bill did not see the light of day as Opposition in the Rajya Sabha expressed reservations over some provisions. The Centre, therefore, took the Ordinance route, introducing a few changes to the 2017 Bill. One of the changes introduced is that the police can lodge an FIR only if approached by the victim, her blood relations, or people who become her relatives by virtue of marriage. Further, the offence has now been made non-compoundable, where a magistrate can use his powers to settle the dispute.

Triple Talaq Ordinance challenged in Supreme Court 

<p>Members of civil society and religious minorities in India were concerned over minority communities feeling "increasingly vulnerable" due to Hindu nationalist groups engaging in violence against them in 2017, a US report on international religious freedom said today.</p>

<p>The Congressional-mandated annual report on International Religious Freedom covering 2017 was released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.</p>

<p>According to the report, representatives of religious minority communities stated that, while the national government sometimes spoke out against incidents of violence, local political leaders often did not, and at times made public remarks that individuals could interpret as condoning violence.</p>

<p>"Members of civil society and religious minorities stated that under the current government, religious minority communities felt increasingly vulnerable due to Hindu nationalist groups engaging in violence against non-Hindu individuals and their places of worship, the report said.</p>

<p>"Authorities often did not prosecute violence by vigilantes against persons, mostly Muslims, suspected of slaughtering or illegally transporting cows or trading in or consuming beef,&nbsp;the report said.</p>

<p>Citing some court cases such as triple Talaq, it said many long-standing legal cases involving religiously motivated violence and riots continued to advance slowly.</p>

<p>"The government continued its challenge to the minority status of Muslim educational institutions in the Supreme Court. Minority status afforded these institutions independence in hiring and curriculum decisions,"&nbsp;it said.</p>

<p>It said on July 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned a rise in deadly mob attacks on cattle traders, consumers of beef, and dairy farmers, and said killing persons in the name of protecting cows was unacceptable.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a speech at University of Bangalore on August 7, then-Vice President of India Hamid Ansari said Dalits, Muslims, and Christians were feeling increasingly insecure, it noted. &nbsp;</p>

<p>In an August 10 interview, Ansari stated there was a feeling of "unease"&nbsp;and "insecurity creeping in"&nbsp;among Muslims in the country. His remarks drew criticism from the BJP and Hindu nationalist groups, the report said.</p>

<p>According to figures compiled by local partners of international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Open Doors, during the first six months of the year, Christians were harassed, threatened, or attacked for their faith in 410 reported incidents, compared with 441 incidents in all of 2016, the report said.</p>

<p>From January through May, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported 296 conflicts between religious communities, resulting in 44 deaths and 892 injuries, it said.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The Congressional-mandated annual report on International Religious Freedom covering 2017 was released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo

Members of civil society and religious minorities in India were concerned over minority communities feeling "increasingly vulnerable" due to Hindu nationalist groups engaging in violence against them in 2017, a US report on international religious freedom said today. The Congressional-mandated annual report on International Religious Freedom covering 2017 was released by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. According to the report, representatives of religious minority communities stated that, while the national government sometimes spoke out against incidents of violence, local political leaders often did not, and at times made public remarks that individuals could interpret as condoning violence. "Members of civil society and religious minorities stated that under the current government, religious minority communities felt increasingly vulnerable due to Hindu nationalist groups engaging in violence against non-Hindu individuals and their places of worship, the report said. "Authorities often did not prosecute violence by vigilantes against persons, mostly Muslims, suspected of slaughtering or illegally transporting cows or trading in or consuming beef, the report said. Citing some court cases such as triple Talaq, it said many long-standing legal cases involving religiously motivated violence and riots continued to advance slowly. "The government continued its challenge to the minority status of Muslim educational institutions in the Supreme Court. Minority status afforded these institutions independence in hiring and curriculum decisions," it said. It said on July 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned a rise in deadly mob attacks on cattle traders, consumers of beef, and dairy farmers, and said killing persons in the name of protecting cows was unacceptable. In a speech at University of Bangalore on August 7, then-Vice President of India Hamid Ansari said Dalits, Muslims, and Christians were feeling increasingly insecure, it noted. In an August 10 interview, Ansari stated there was a feeling of "unease" and "insecurity creeping in" among Muslims in the country. His remarks drew criticism from the BJP and Hindu nationalist groups, the report said. According to figures compiled by local partners of international non-governmental organisation (NGO) Open Doors, during the first six months of the year, Christians were harassed, threatened, or attacked for their faith in 410 reported incidents, compared with 441 incidents in all of 2016, the report said. From January through May, the Ministry of Home Affairs reported 296 conflicts between religious communities, resulting in 44 deaths and 892 injuries, it said.

Religious minority communities in India felt increasingly vulnerable in 2017: Report

<p>A month after the Supreme Court sought a response from the Centre on its stand on&nbsp;polygamy and certain forms of marriages in the Muslim community, another petition was filed today in the apex court seeking a ban on Nikah Halala.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court has tagged the matter with the earlier four petitions.</p>

<p>The Supreme Court had on March 26, referred the case to a Constitution bench to examine and adjudicate&nbsp;the validity of polygamy and certain forms of marriages in the Muslim community.</p>

<p>The apex court's decision came in response to a batch of petitions challenging Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, for recognising and validating the practice of Nikah Halala, Nikah Mutah and Nikah Misyar as well as polygamy.</p>

<p>Calling the practices as unconstitutional, senior advocates also demanded that the prevailing practices should be declared illegal.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Another petition has been filed in Supreme Court seeking ban on Nikah Halala.The Supreme Court tagged this matter with the earlier four petitions. Earlier the Court had issued a notice to the Centre and had sought a response.</p>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/988313234691239936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Supreme Court had on March 26, referred the case to a Constitution bench to examine and adjudicate the validity of polygamy and certain forms of marriages in the Muslim community

A month after the Supreme Court sought a response from the Centre on its stand on polygamy and certain forms of marriages in the Muslim community, another petition was filed today in the apex court seeking a ban on Nikah Halala. The Supreme Court has tagged the matter with the earlier four petitions. The Supreme Court had on March 26, referred the case to a Constitution bench to examine and adjudicate the validity of polygamy and certain forms of marriages in the Muslim community. The apex court's decision came in response to a batch of petitions challenging Section 2 of the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act, 1937, for recognising and validating the practice of Nikah Halala, Nikah Mutah and Nikah Misyar as well as polygamy. Calling the practices as unconstitutional, senior advocates also demanded that the prevailing practices should be declared illegal. Another petition has been filed in Supreme Court seeking ban on Nikah Halala.The Supreme Court tagged this matter with the earlier four petitions. Earlier the Court had issued a notice to the Centre and had sought a response. — ANI (@ANI) April 23, 2018 ×

Another petition filed in Supreme Court seeking ban on nikah halala

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lamented that disruptions in Parliament have unfortunately prevented several members, retiring from the Rajya Sabha, from being able to participate in debates on historic legislation like the triple talaq bill.</p>

<p>Without directly referring to the disruptions which have virtually washed out proceedings through the second leg of the budget session, he said it was unfortunate that the retiring members "lost an opportunity to leave their legacy" on important issues like triple talaq.</p>

<p>Addressing the Rajya Sabha which bade farewell to about 60 of its members whose tenures end over the next few weeks, Modi stressed that the responsibility of smooth functioning of Parliament lay not only with the opposition but also the government.</p>

<p>"It is not necessary that whatever happens in the Green House (Lok Sabha), should happen in the Red House (Rajya Sabha)," Modi said, adding the Upper House was a distinguished House with eminent members serving and playing a vital role in the Indian democracy.</p>

<p>He said many members of the House of Elders would have thought of raising major issues vital to the country before retiring, but were debarred from the opportunity to leave behind their great ideals and legacy.</p>

<p>"It is unfortunate that the retiring members will not be part of Parliament when the long due decision on Triple Talaq is taken," Modi said, adding they would be unable to participate in the debates when the House decides on important bills.</p>

<p>He, however, said those members who would return to the House on being re-elected, would be able to participate in this historic bill.</p>

<p>"We will realise in the next 10-20 years that we have not been able to contribute to this historic legislation," he said in his brief speech.</p>

<p>"It would have been much better had they left behind some good things but they could not get the opportunity," Modi said, indicating the noisy protests which have disrupted the proceedings.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister said the outgoing members must have prepared speeches on important issues so that their contribution is remembered but have not been able to do so.</p>

<p>He said the Upper House, which has senior members, has a unique significance and plays a key role in policy formulation.</p>

<p>Commending the contributions of all retiring members of the Rajya Sabha and wishing them well for the future, he expressed confidence after retiring from the House, they would play an even stronger role in social service.</p>

<p>He said all of them have unique strengths and have contributed in their own way and added that they have worked to the best of their ability for the brighter future of the nation which can never forget their contribution.</p>

<p>The Prime Minister made special mention of some of the retiring MPs and their contributions including former Attorney General K Parasaran, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and former Indian hockey captain and BJD member Dilip Tirkey.</p>

<p>Modi especially mentioned Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, saying he would be remembered for running the House smoothly even during crises and sending serious messages with a smile.</p>

<p>He assured the retiring members that the doors of Parliament and his office would always remain open for them and urged them to continue sharing their thoughts on vital issues.&nbsp</p>


Disruptions in Parliament have unfortunately prevented several members from being able to participate in debates on historic legislation like the triple talaq bill, said PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today lamented that disruptions in Parliament have unfortunately prevented several members, retiring from the Rajya Sabha, from being able to participate in debates on historic legislation like the triple talaq bill. Without directly referring to the disruptions which have virtually washed out proceedings through the second leg of the budget session, he said it was unfortunate that the retiring members "lost an opportunity to leave their legacy" on important issues like triple talaq. Addressing the Rajya Sabha which bade farewell to about 60 of its members whose tenures end over the next few weeks, Modi stressed that the responsibility of smooth functioning of Parliament lay not only with the opposition but also the government. "It is not necessary that whatever happens in the Green House (Lok Sabha), should happen in the Red House (Rajya Sabha)," Modi said, adding the Upper House was a distinguished House with eminent members serving and playing a vital role in the Indian democracy. He said many members of the House of Elders would have thought of raising major issues vital to the country before retiring, but were debarred from the opportunity to leave behind their great ideals and legacy. "It is unfortunate that the retiring members will not be part of Parliament when the long due decision on Triple Talaq is taken," Modi said, adding they would be unable to participate in the debates when the House decides on important bills. He, however, said those members who would return to the House on being re-elected, would be able to participate in this historic bill. "We will realise in the next 10-20 years that we have not been able to contribute to this historic legislation," he said in his brief speech. "It would have been much better had they left behind some good things but they could not get the opportunity," Modi said, indicating the noisy protests which have disrupted the proceedings. The Prime Minister said the outgoing members must have prepared speeches on important issues so that their contribution is remembered but have not been able to do so. He said the Upper House, which has senior members, has a unique significance and plays a key role in policy formulation. Commending the contributions of all retiring members of the Rajya Sabha and wishing them well for the future, he expressed confidence after retiring from the House, they would play an even stronger role in social service. He said all of them have unique strengths and have contributed in their own way and added that they have worked to the best of their ability for the brighter future of the nation which can never forget their contribution. The Prime Minister made special mention of some of the retiring MPs and their contributions including former Attorney General K Parasaran, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and former Indian hockey captain and BJD member Dilip Tirkey. Modi especially mentioned Deputy Chairman P J Kurien, saying he would be remembered for running the House smoothly even during crises and sending serious messages with a smile. He assured the retiring members that the doors of Parliament and his office would always remain open for them and urged them to continue sharing their thoughts on vital issues.

Modi in Rajya Sabha laments disruptions, says prevented MPs from debating issues

<p>&nbsp;After protest against Triple Talaq Bill was staged&nbsp;in Pune and Rajasthan by Muslim women, women from Varanasi staged a protest demanding the early <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cabinet-clears-triple-talaq-bill-3-years-jail-for-guilty-husbands-in-proposed-law-26824" target="_blank">passage of the&nbsp;Bill</a>.</p>

<p>Protesting against the Triple Talaq, Muslim women demanded that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-sabotaged-triple-talaq-bill-as-they-didnt-want-bjp-to-get-credit-28771" target="_blank">Triple Talaq Bill be passed at the earliest</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Varanasi: Muslim women hold protest against <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaq</a>, demand that the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> be passed at the earliest <a href="https://t.co/xJHhdslh3B">pic.twitter.com/xJHhdslh3B</a></p>
&mdash; ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/975294718316826624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Earlier this month, the President of All India Muslim Women&#39;s Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) had written to Prime Minister Modi <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aimwplb-president-writes-to-pm-modi-seeking-amendments-in-triple-talaq-bill-35557" target="_blank">seeking amendments in the&nbsp;</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/cabinet-clears-triple-talaq-bill-3-years-jail-for-guilty-husbands-in-proposed-law-26824" target="_blank">Triple Talaq Bill</a>.</p>

<p>Shaista Amber, president of the board said that though they supported the bill, they want an amendment in it.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board have already expressed their disapproval against the bill calling it defective and destructive for families and women.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Triple Talaq Bill was cleared in the Parliament in December 2017.</p>

<p>Under the proposed law, instant divorce will be a non-bailable offence with a punishment of three years jail for guilty husbands.</p>

<p>The proposed law would only be applicable to instant triple talaq or &#39;talaq-e-biddat&#39; and it would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking &quot;subsistence allowance&quot; for herself and minor children.</p>

<p>The practice of triple talaq allows Muslim men to divorce their wives instantly by saying &#39;talaq&#39; three consecutive times (either directly, via social media or even a text<br />
message).</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


Protesting against the Triple Talaq, Muslim women demanded that the Triple Talaq Bill be passed at the earliest

After protest against Triple Talaq Bill was staged in Pune and Rajasthan by Muslim women, women from Varanasi staged a protest demanding the early passage of the Bill. Protesting against the Triple Talaq, Muslim women demanded that the Triple Talaq Bill be passed at the earliest. Varanasi: Muslim women hold protest against #TripleTalaq, demand that the #TripleTalaqBill be passed at the earliest pic.twitter.com/xJHhdslh3B — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) March 18, 2018 × Earlier this month, the President of All India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) had written to Prime Minister Modi seeking amendments in the Triple Talaq Bill. Shaista Amber, president of the board said that though they supported the bill, they want an amendment in it. The members of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board have already expressed their disapproval against the bill calling it defective and destructive for families and women. The Triple Talaq Bill was cleared in the Parliament in December 2017. Under the proposed law, instant divorce will be a non-bailable offence with a punishment of three years jail for guilty husbands. The proposed law would only be applicable to instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and it would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. The practice of triple talaq allows Muslim men to divorce their wives instantly by saying 'talaq' three consecutive times (either directly, via social media or even a text message).

Muslim women from Varanasi protest for early passage of Triple Talaq Bill

<p>Oxford University Press launched Salman Khurshid&#39;s new book &quot;Triple Talaq: Examining Faith&quot;, on Thursday, in New Delhi.</p>

<p>One of the most debated issues in the recent times following a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of India, the book offers a comprehensive overview of the complicated issue and delves deeper into the other aspects of the practice. The book also brings to light the reasons and the steps taken by The Supreme Court of India to declare this form of practice unconstitutional.</p>

<p>The book launch took place in the presence of former Lt Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, and the author himself.</p>

<p>Besides Salman Khurshid, the book launch took place in the presence of former Lt. Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former CJI Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, and Congress leaders P&nbsp;Chidambaram and Mani Shankar Aiyar.</p>

<p>Triple talaq, or talaq-e-bidat, is one of the most debated issues in the Muslim world. From antiquity, the Muslim faith has been plagued by the portrayal of Muslim men regularly misusing this perceived &quot;right&quot; to divorce their wives instantly by simply uttering &quot;talaq&quot; thrice.</p>

<p>The apex court, in the landmark judgment of Shayara Bano v&nbsp;Union of India, has taken the step to declare this form of talaq unconstitutional and to strike down its practice.</p>

<p>In &#39;Triple Talaq: Examining Faith&#39;, Salman Khurshid, intervening to offer the court an amicus brief in the &quot;Triple Talaq case&quot;, offers a straightforward yet comprehensive overview of this complicated issue. Explaining the reasons behind the court&#39;s decision, he dives deep into other aspects of this practice: why it is wrong; why it has thrived; what was the judicial history of this issue; what the Quran and Muslim religious leaders say about it; and what the comparative practices in other countries are. A handy guide to this landmark decision and what it means for Muslims in India, this book is written not just for the theologian, but also for the common reader.</p>

<p>Salman Khurshid is a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India. He is the former Cabinet Minister of External Affairs, Law and Justice, and Corporate Affairs, Government of India. He is a celebrated author, well-known public figure, and member of the Indian National Congress.</p>

<p>Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford. It is the world&#39;s largest university press with the widest global presence. It publishes in many countries, in more than 40 languages, and in a variety of formats-print and digital.</p>

<p>Established in 1912, OUP India has grown to be one of the largest publishers in the region, with a strong presence in India and the neighbouring countries, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.&nbsp;</p>


The book offers a comprehensive overview of the complicated Triple Talaq issue and delves deeper into the other aspects of the practice

Oxford University Press launched Salman Khurshid's new book "Triple Talaq: Examining Faith", on Thursday, in New Delhi. One of the most debated issues in the recent times following a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of India, the book offers a comprehensive overview of the complicated issue and delves deeper into the other aspects of the practice. The book also brings to light the reasons and the steps taken by The Supreme Court of India to declare this form of practice unconstitutional. The book launch took place in the presence of former Lt Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, and the author himself. Besides Salman Khurshid, the book launch took place in the presence of former Lt. Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung, former CJI Aziz Mushabber Ahmadi, National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah, and Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Mani Shankar Aiyar. Triple talaq, or talaq-e-bidat, is one of the most debated issues in the Muslim world. From antiquity, the Muslim faith has been plagued by the portrayal of Muslim men regularly misusing this perceived "right" to divorce their wives instantly by simply uttering "talaq" thrice. The apex court, in the landmark judgment of Shayara Bano v Union of India, has taken the step to declare this form of talaq unconstitutional and to strike down its practice. In 'Triple Talaq: Examining Faith', Salman Khurshid, intervening to offer the court an amicus brief in the "Triple Talaq case", offers a straightforward yet comprehensive overview of this complicated issue. Explaining the reasons behind the court's decision, he dives deep into other aspects of this practice: why it is wrong; why it has thrived; what was the judicial history of this issue; what the Quran and Muslim religious leaders say about it; and what the comparative practices in other countries are. A handy guide to this landmark decision and what it means for Muslims in India, this book is written not just for the theologian, but also for the common reader. Salman Khurshid is a senior advocate in the Supreme Court of India. He is the former Cabinet Minister of External Affairs, Law and Justice, and Corporate Affairs, Government of India. He is a celebrated author, well-known public figure, and member of the Indian National Congress. Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford. It is the world's largest university press with the widest global presence. It publishes in many countries, in more than 40 languages, and in a variety of formats-print and digital. Established in 1912, OUP India has grown to be one of the largest publishers in the region, with a strong presence in India and the neighbouring countries, including Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.

Oxford University Press launches Salman Khurshid's 'Triple Talaq: Examining Faith'

<p>An unidentified person tonight hurled a shoe at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi while he was addressing a rally at Nagpada in south Mumbai, police said. The Member of Parliament was not hurt in the incident, they said.</p>

<p>Owaisi was voicing his opposition on the triple talaq issue at the rally around 9.45 pm when the incident took place, a senior police officer said.</p>

<p>&quot;I am willing to lay down my life for my democratic rights. These are all frustrated people, who cannot see that the government decision on triple talaq has not been accepted by the masses in general and Muslims in particular,&quot; Owaisi told PTI.</p>

<p>&quot;These people (referring to the person who threw the shoe at him) are the ones who follow the ideology of the killers of Mahatma Gandhi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Owaisi claimed that such incidents were happening at the behest of people, who follow &quot;hate ideologies&quot; and that they are getting emboldened with each passing day.</p>

<p>&quot;This will not stop us from speaking the truth against them,&quot; the Hyderabad MP said.</p>

<p>Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-III, Virendra Mishra said the police were going through the CCTV footage and probing the matter.</p>

<p>AIMIM MLA Imtiyaz Jaleel said Owaisi was unhurt and continued his speech after the incident.</p>

<p>&quot;We do not care for such incidents. Some people and parties do not want us to speak the truth. Owaisi continued with his speech (despite the incident). We simply ignore these type of acts,&quot; he added.</p>


Owaisi was voicing his opposition on the triple talaq issue when the incident took place

An unidentified person tonight hurled a shoe at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi while he was addressing a rally at Nagpada in south Mumbai, police said. The Member of Parliament was not hurt in the incident, they said. Owaisi was voicing his opposition on the triple talaq issue at the rally around 9.45 pm when the incident took place, a senior police officer said. "I am willing to lay down my life for my democratic rights. These are all frustrated people, who cannot see that the government decision on triple talaq has not been accepted by the masses in general and Muslims in particular," Owaisi told PTI. "These people (referring to the person who threw the shoe at him) are the ones who follow the ideology of the killers of Mahatma Gandhi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar," he said. Owaisi claimed that such incidents were happening at the behest of people, who follow "hate ideologies" and that they are getting emboldened with each passing day. "This will not stop us from speaking the truth against them," the Hyderabad MP said. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-III, Virendra Mishra said the police were going through the CCTV footage and probing the matter. AIMIM MLA Imtiyaz Jaleel said Owaisi was unhurt and continued his speech after the incident. "We do not care for such incidents. Some people and parties do not want us to speak the truth. Owaisi continued with his speech (despite the incident). We simply ignore these type of acts," he added.

Shoe thrown at Asaduddin Owaisi during Mumbai rally

<p>Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of stalling&nbsp;&#39;Triple Talaq&#39; bill.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Modi was addressing &#39;Parivarthan rally&#39; in Bengaluru ahead of upcoming Karnataka assembly elections.</p>

<p>Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/congress-is-standing-at-the-exit-gate-in-karnataka-modi-31748">Congress is standing at &#39;exit gate&#39; in Karnataka: Modi</a><br />
&nbsp;<br />
&#39;They are trying to do the same with OBC Bill,&#39; Modi added.</p>

<p>Modi also praised Rahul Dravid as he slammed the&nbsp;Siddaramaiah government in the state.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;Our U19 Cricket Team won World Cup yesterday. Their head coach Rahul Dravid was a significant factor behind this victory and this can&#39;t be denied. He teaches us to work honestly and live for others&quot;</p>

<p>&quot;This is the culture of Karnataka but the present state government&nbsp;is ruining this culture,&quot; he added.</p>

<p>He also accused Congress leaders of corruption. &quot;There are serious allegations of corruption against Congress leaders. Reports are coming about them demanding commission in several projects. &#39;&#39;I have been told that Karnataka government is being recognised as 10 per cent government as no work is possible without 10 per cent&nbsp;commission.&quot;</p>

<p>Triple Talaq bill was cleared in Lok Sabha last year and is expected to pass by Rajya Sabha during this year in a special budget session.</p>


Modi is campaigning for upcoming Karnataka assembly elections in Bengaluru

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused the Congress of stalling 'Triple Talaq' bill. Modi was addressing 'Parivarthan rally' in Bengaluru ahead of upcoming Karnataka assembly elections. Also read: Congress is standing at 'exit gate' in Karnataka: Modi 'They are trying to do the same with OBC Bill,' Modi added. Modi also praised Rahul Dravid as he slammed the Siddaramaiah government in the state. "Our U19 Cricket Team won World Cup yesterday. Their head coach Rahul Dravid was a significant factor behind this victory and this can't be denied. He teaches us to work honestly and live for others" "This is the culture of Karnataka but the present state government is ruining this culture," he added. He also accused Congress leaders of corruption. "There are serious allegations of corruption against Congress leaders. Reports are coming about them demanding commission in several projects. ''I have been told that Karnataka government is being recognised as 10 per cent government as no work is possible without 10 per cent commission." Triple Talaq bill was cleared in Lok Sabha last year and is expected to pass by Rajya Sabha during this year in a special budget session.

Congress is trying to stall 'triple talaq': Modi in Karnataka

<p>Jamida, who became the first female imam in India&#39;s history to lead the Juma prayers, said on Monday that despite receiving criticism she would continue her struggle to end triple talaq and achieve equal rights for women.</p>

<p>&quot;I will continue my struggle to end triple talaq and bring women into the mainstream,&quot; Jamida said.</p>

<p>She further said those who have been criticising her, have been doing so without logic and hence were abusing and targeting her personally.</p>

<p>Fundamentalists have been targeting Jamidha, harassing and threatening her over the phone as well as on social media for &ldquo;going against Islam&rdquo;. However, Jamida is fearless.</p>

<p>34-year-old Jamida Teacher, the state general secretary of Quran and Sunnat society, was the imam for Juma prayers held at the mosque of Quran Sunnat Society in Malappuram district. She also led the Khutba, the speech during Juma prayers.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


Jamida became the first female imam in India's history to lead Friday prayers on January 26

Jamida, who became the first female imam in India's history to lead the Juma prayers, said on Monday that despite receiving criticism she would continue her struggle to end triple talaq and achieve equal rights for women. "I will continue my struggle to end triple talaq and bring women into the mainstream," Jamida said. She further said those who have been criticising her, have been doing so without logic and hence were abusing and targeting her personally. Fundamentalists have been targeting Jamidha, harassing and threatening her over the phone as well as on social media for “going against Islam”. However, Jamida is fearless. 34-year-old Jamida Teacher, the state general secretary of Quran and Sunnat society, was the imam for Juma prayers held at the mosque of Quran Sunnat Society in Malappuram district. She also led the Khutba, the speech during Juma prayers. (With inputs from ANI)

Will continue my struggle to end triple talaq, says India's first female imam Jamida

<p>Ahead of Monday&#39;s Budget Session, the&nbsp;government met leaders of different political parties in Parliament house on Sunday and discussed issues and sought cooperation in the proposed legislation.</p>

<p>The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar, besides leaders of the opposition and other parties.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pre-Budget Session All-party Meeting underway in Parliament Library Building <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Delhi?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Delhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/MdEfIMrtHI">pic.twitter.com/MdEfIMrtHI</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957589345799581696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar termed the all-party meeting &quot;fruitful&quot; and said that the government will do everything possible to ensure the passage of the bill in the Budget Session.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">PM said budget session is very important &amp; government takes very sincerely the suggestions given about it by opposition during discussion in all party meeting: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar <a href="https://t.co/QYIiMkWqz1">pic.twitter.com/QYIiMkWqz1</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957596563370422273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We hope the Triple Talaq Bill is passed in Rajya Sabha too. My colleagues &amp; I will leave no stone unturned in talking to and convincing the political parties. The way they have passed GST unanimously, we request them to pass this too unanimously: Ananth Kumar <a href="https://t.co/Yzi2rlF9fZ">pic.twitter.com/Yzi2rlF9fZ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957597565658193925?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Kanimozhi of DMK also said &quot;we&#39;ll continue to demand that Triple Talaq Bill be referred to select committee for deliberation upon some of its contentious clauses. We&#39;ll also raise Ockhi fishermen issue, NEET issue &amp; Women&#39;s Reservation Bill which has not been listed in the business advisory.&quot;</p>

<p>RJD leader Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav raised issues like unemployment, peace and harmony, violence, Dalit oppression&nbsp;in the meeting.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Unemployment is rising. Peace &amp; harmony is being driven out &amp; violence being spread. Nation&#39;s unity is in danger. From Koregaon to Nandangaon to Buxar, Dalits are being oppressed. We raised these issues. We will also raise issues of farmers suicide: Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav, RJD <a href="https://t.co/j6wrwXFXJJ">pic.twitter.com/j6wrwXFXJJ</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/957600395177570305?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The budget session of the parliament will begin from January 29&nbsp;and it will end on April 6.</p>

<p>The session will start with President Ram Nath Kovind&#39;s addressing&nbsp;a joint sitting of the two houses.</p>

<p>The much-awaited economic survey will also be presented on the day 1 of the budget session.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The phase 1 of the session will be held from January 29 to February 9. The second phase will take place from March 5 to April 6.</p>

<p>The budget will be tabled by finance minister Arun Jaitley on February 1, making it a first budget to be presented after Goods and Services Tax implementation.</p>

<p>The most important bills of this session would be the&nbsp;commission for backward classes and Triple Talaq bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha but was stalled in the Rajya Sabha.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar, besides leaders of the opposition and other parties

Ahead of Monday's Budget Session, the government met leaders of different political parties in Parliament house on Sunday and discussed issues and sought cooperation in the proposed legislation. The meeting was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar, besides leaders of the opposition and other parties. Pre-Budget Session All-party Meeting underway in Parliament Library Building #Delhi pic.twitter.com/MdEfIMrtHI — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2018 × Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar termed the all-party meeting "fruitful" and said that the government will do everything possible to ensure the passage of the bill in the Budget Session. PM said budget session is very important & government takes very sincerely the suggestions given about it by opposition during discussion in all party meeting: Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar pic.twitter.com/QYIiMkWqz1 — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2018 × We hope the Triple Talaq Bill is passed in Rajya Sabha too. My colleagues & I will leave no stone unturned in talking to and convincing the political parties. The way they have passed GST unanimously, we request them to pass this too unanimously: Ananth Kumar pic.twitter.com/Yzi2rlF9fZ — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2018 × Kanimozhi of DMK also said "we'll continue to demand that Triple Talaq Bill be referred to select committee for deliberation upon some of its contentious clauses. We'll also raise Ockhi fishermen issue, NEET issue & Women's Reservation Bill which has not been listed in the business advisory." RJD leader Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav raised issues like unemployment, peace and harmony, violence, Dalit oppression in the meeting. Unemployment is rising. Peace & harmony is being driven out & violence being spread. Nation's unity is in danger. From Koregaon to Nandangaon to Buxar, Dalits are being oppressed. We raised these issues. We will also raise issues of farmers suicide: Jay Prakash Narayan Yadav, RJD pic.twitter.com/j6wrwXFXJJ — ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2018 × The budget session of the parliament will begin from January 29 and it will end on April 6. The session will start with President Ram Nath Kovind's addressing a joint sitting of the two houses. The much-awaited economic survey will also be presented on the day 1 of the budget session. The phase 1 of the session will be held from January 29 to February 9. The second phase will take place from March 5 to April 6. The budget will be tabled by finance minister Arun Jaitley on February 1, making it a first budget to be presented after Goods and Services Tax implementation. The most important bills of this session would be the commission for backward classes and Triple Talaq bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha but was stalled in the Rajya Sabha.

Budget Session today, government hopeful of passing Triple Talaq bill

<p>Days after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ishrat-jahan-triple-talaq-petitioner-joins-bjp-28214" target="_blank">Ishrat Jahan, one of the petitioners in the triple talaq case, joined the BJP</a>, her lawyer&nbsp;Nazia Elahi Khan also joined the party.</p>

<p>Nazia Elahi Khan is an activist and lawyer of triple talaq victim Ishrat Jahan.</p>

<p>He joined the BJP in Kolkata.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Nazia Elahi Khan, activist and lawyer of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaq</a> victim Ishrat Jehan also joins BJP in Kolkata. Ishrat Jehan had already joined BJP <a href="https://t.co/cSmnCHnsM2">pic.twitter.com/cSmnCHnsM2</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948886434433310721?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Ishrat&nbsp;was one of the five petitioners in the triple talaq case.</p>

<p>She said she would work in the party&#39;s women&#39;s wing.</p>

<p>She joined the BJP on December 30&nbsp;at Howrah office on December 30.</p>

<p>Her husband had divorced her over the phone from Dubai in 2014 by uttering &quot;talaq&quot; thrice.</p>

<p>The Islamic practice of Triple Talaq was struck down by the Supreme Court on August 22.</p>


Nazia Elahi Khan is an activist and lawyer of Triple Talaq victim Ishrat Jahan victim, he joined the BJP in Kolkata

Days after Ishrat Jahan, one of the petitioners in the triple talaq case, joined the BJP, her lawyer Nazia Elahi Khan also joined the party. Nazia Elahi Khan is an activist and lawyer of triple talaq victim Ishrat Jahan. He joined the BJP in Kolkata. Nazia Elahi Khan, activist and lawyer of #TripleTalaq victim Ishrat Jehan also joins BJP in Kolkata. Ishrat Jehan had already joined BJP pic.twitter.com/cSmnCHnsM2 — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × Ishrat was one of the five petitioners in the triple talaq case. She said she would work in the party's women's wing. She joined the BJP on December 30 at Howrah office on December 30. Her husband had divorced her over the phone from Dubai in 2014 by uttering "talaq" thrice. The Islamic practice of Triple Talaq was struck down by the Supreme Court on August 22.

Triple talaq: After Ishrat Jahan, her lawyer joins BJP

<p>The Upper House of the Parliament <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-bill-tabled-in-rajya-sabha-28436" target="_blank">was disrupted</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-bill-tabled-in-rajya-sabha-28436" target="_blank"> again</a> on the second day due to the continued uproar over the triple talaq bill.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The opposition&#39;s demand to present the bill to the Select Committee led to a heated debate between TMC MP Derek O Brien and BJP leader Smriti Irani.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Responding to Derek O Brien, Smriti Irani reversed asking them to have a discussion, if they really supported women empowerment.&nbsp;</p>

<p>India&#39;s textile minister&nbsp;later questioned the Congress and the Opposition for &quot;obstructing the path of justice for Muslim women&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Irani&nbsp;blamed them for running away from the discussion in Rajya Sabha.&nbsp;She further said that the double standards of the&nbsp;Congress-led&nbsp;Opposition were exposed.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Irani said &quot;It was a shame on them that they are trying to obstruct this path of justice for Indian&nbsp;women. &quot;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Opposition stands exposed in RS, for past 2 days repeatedly it has been said that if there are any issues need to be spoken on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a>, those issues need to be put out on the floor of the House. Why is congress -led opposition running away from discussion?: Smirit Irani <a href="https://t.co/3RNuyAG7vc">pic.twitter.com/3RNuyAG7vc</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948902367121965057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Double standards of congress led opposition are exposed today and I think it is a shame on them that they are trying to obstruct this path of justice for Indian muslim women: Union Minister Smriti Irani <a href="https://t.co/RHJEXZGG76">pic.twitter.com/RHJEXZGG76</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948903690362019841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Derek O Brien blamed the Centre for hindering women empowerment. He added that the latest move had exposed them.</p>

<p>He said &quot;It&#39;s clear that this side (opposition) wants to empower women, and you (Government) stand exposed.</p>

<p>The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am on Friday.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Today BJP has been exposed, they don&#39;t have the guts to empower women: TMC MP Derek O Brien on debate over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://t.co/MiEcRmsI56">pic.twitter.com/MiEcRmsI56</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948897490283069443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Responding to media over triple talaq, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the government was isolated on the issue while the Opposition was united. He added that the bill should be sent to Select Committee.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The government is isolated, the Opposition is one. The bill should be sent to the select committee: Kapil Sibal, Congress on debate over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://t.co/IhuiHE7Grk">pic.twitter.com/IhuiHE7Grk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948899383075995648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi hit out at Congress.&nbsp;&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The duplicity of Congress is quite clear, it has become typical characteristic of Congress: Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/1eisyu6XbR">pic.twitter.com/1eisyu6XbR</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948907521237950464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Also&nbsp;read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-agrees-to-send-triple-talaq-bill-to-select-committee-reports-28497" target="_blank">Government agrees to send triple talaq bill to select committee: Reports</a></p>

<p>The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha last Thursday.</p>

<p>It was tabled yesterday in the Rajya Sabha but did not go through after a united opposition insisted that it be sent to the&nbsp;Select Committee.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Congress, while maintaining that it supports the abolition of triple talaq, has been insisting that the bill be sent to a select committee so that&nbsp;any lacunae in it can be better understood.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


She blamed the Congress and the Opposition from running away from the discussion in Rajya Sabha.?She further said that the double standards of the?Congress-led?Opposition were exposed

The Upper House of the Parliament was disrupted again on the second day due to the continued uproar over the triple talaq bill. The opposition's demand to present the bill to the Select Committee led to a heated debate between TMC MP Derek O Brien and BJP leader Smriti Irani. Responding to Derek O Brien, Smriti Irani reversed asking them to have a discussion, if they really supported women empowerment. India's textile minister later questioned the Congress and the Opposition for "obstructing the path of justice for Muslim women". Irani blamed them for running away from the discussion in Rajya Sabha. She further said that the double standards of the Congress-led Opposition were exposed. Irani said "It was a shame on them that they are trying to obstruct this path of justice for Indian women. " Opposition stands exposed in RS, for past 2 days repeatedly it has been said that if there are any issues need to be spoken on #TripleTalaqBill, those issues need to be put out on the floor of the House. Why is congress -led opposition running away from discussion?: Smirit Irani pic.twitter.com/3RNuyAG7vc — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × Double standards of congress led opposition are exposed today and I think it is a shame on them that they are trying to obstruct this path of justice for Indian muslim women: Union Minister Smriti Irani pic.twitter.com/RHJEXZGG76 — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × Derek O Brien blamed the Centre for hindering women empowerment. He added that the latest move had exposed them. He said "It's clear that this side (opposition) wants to empower women, and you (Government) stand exposed. The Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am on Friday. Today BJP has been exposed, they don't have the guts to empower women: TMC MP Derek O Brien on debate over #TripleTalaqBill in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/MiEcRmsI56 — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × Responding to media over triple talaq, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that the government was isolated on the issue while the Opposition was united. He added that the bill should be sent to Select Committee. The government is isolated, the Opposition is one. The bill should be sent to the select committee: Kapil Sibal, Congress on debate over #TripleTalaqBill in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/IhuiHE7Grk — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi hit out at Congress. The duplicity of Congress is quite clear, it has become typical characteristic of Congress: Sudhanshu Trivedi, BJP #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/1eisyu6XbR — ANI (@ANI) January 4, 2018 × Also read: Government agrees to send triple talaq bill to select committee: Reports The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha last Thursday. It was tabled yesterday in the Rajya Sabha but did not go through after a united opposition insisted that it be sent to the Select Committee. The Congress, while maintaining that it supports the abolition of triple talaq, has been insisting that the bill be sent to a select committee so that any lacunae in it can be better understood.

Shame on Congress for obstructing path of justice for Muslim women: Smriti Irani

<p>Congress leader Anand Sharma has sent a notice proposing names of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs to be members of Select Committee for the Triple Talaq Bill.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The proposal includes the name of MPs such as Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja.</p>

<p>The names of MPs proposed mostly belong to the Congress, AIADMK, SP, BSP, DMK, NCP, CPI(M), CPI parties.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Name of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs including Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja proposed to be members of Select Committee in the notice sent by Congress&#39; Anand Sharma <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/aExOfiFMnL">pic.twitter.com/aExOfiFMnL</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948511309179400192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The Opposition today demanded that the Triple Talaq bill should be sent to the Select Committee for modifications of certain provisions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had tabled the bill in Rajya Sabha.</p>

<p>Within few&nbsp;hours of tabling the bill, the Upper House was disrupted due to Opposition&#39;s demand of&nbsp;sending the bill to Select Committee.</p>


The proposal includes name of MPs including Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja

Congress leader Anand Sharma has sent a notice proposing names of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs to be members of Select Committee for the Triple Talaq Bill. The proposal includes the name of MPs such as Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja. The names of MPs proposed mostly belong to the Congress, AIADMK, SP, BSP, DMK, NCP, CPI(M), CPI parties. Name of 17 Rajya Sabha MPs including Renuka Chowdhury, K Rahman Khan, Derek O Brien, Javed Ahmad, Majeed Memon, KK Ragesh, D Raja proposed to be members of Select Committee in the notice sent by Congress' Anand Sharma #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/aExOfiFMnL — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × The Opposition today demanded that the Triple Talaq bill should be sent to the Select Committee for modifications of certain provisions. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had tabled the bill in Rajya Sabha. Within few hours of tabling the bill, the Upper House was disrupted due to Opposition's demand of sending the bill to Select Committee.

Triple Talaq Bill: Congress leader Anand Sharma proposes names for Select Committee members

<p>The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, popularly known as the Triple Talaq Bill, which has been tabled today in the Rajya Sabha for its consideration and clearance, has generated a lot of heat in the political and the media space over the past few days.&nbsp; The bill, which is being touted as the most progressive legislation for the emancipation of Muslim Women in India, is also one of the most polarising one within the community where it divides the population in nearly two halves broadly along the line of the sex of the members. While most of the women, including the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), are supporting the bill, the men including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) are pitted against it.</p>

<p>The AIMPLB came up with a resolution opposing the Bill where it termed the legislation to be &ldquo;against the welfare of Muslim women at large&rdquo; and believed that &ldquo;it shall harm the interest of Muslim Women and the family&rdquo; because in its opinion, the Bill fails to take into consideration the &ldquo;adverse consequences of the proposed law and welfare of the women and children pursuant to a &lsquo;non effective&rsquo; Talaq.&rdquo;&nbsp;</p>

<p>It is pertinent to mention that the Bill has been conceived in the aftermath of a decision by the Supreme Court in August this year in the famous case of Shaiara Bano vs Union of India &amp; Others, wherein the Court had set aside the practice of Instant Triple Talaq among the Muslims as unconstitutional. While putting forth the Bill, a statement of &lsquo;Objects and Reasons of the Bill&rsquo; was also brought up by the Ministry of Law that explained, &ldquo;There is a need for State action to give effect to the order of the Supreme Court and to redress the grievances of victims of illegal divorce. In order to prevent the continued harassment being meted out to the hapless married Muslim women due to Talaq-e-Biddat, urgent suitable legislation is necessary to give some relief to them&hellip;The legislation would help in ensuring the larger Constitutional goals of gender justice and gender equality of married Muslim women and would help subserve their fundamental rights of non-discrimination and empowerment.&rdquo;</p>

<p>However, the legislation is a must and its enactment urgent. The government revealed that even after the Supreme Court set aside instant triple talaq in August this year, the practice didn&rsquo;t stop and more than 60 cases of instant triple talaq were reported in the country since then. Hence, its clear that such a practice isn&rsquo;t going to stop unless a strong law is put into place.</p>

<p>Shaista Amber, the President of the AIMWPLB had led a Muslim Women delegation to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for a bill on August 8 this year. After the meeting, she had told the media, &ldquo;We proposed punishment and penalty for those who do not give equal right to women. I am thankful to the government for acting on the issue. AIMPLB is opposing the bill and abusing the rights of women.&rdquo; While launching a broadside against the AIMPLB, she had fulminated - &ldquo;Why don&rsquo;t they (The AIMPLB members) consider Muslim women as equal partners? Why do they want to create a communal feeling among the Muslims when the society is going for reforms? Why are they saying the bill would promote interference in religious matters? Why do they want to protect such men who use women and abandon them at their will?&rdquo;</p>

<p>The stand of the AIMPLB is terribly flawed on the matter and they no longer carry a locus standi on the proposed Bill from moral as well as a legal perspective.</p>

<p>First, the AIMPLB was an opposing party in the Shaira Bano case in the Supreme Court, which had demolished its arguments on Triple Talaq issue. The AIMPLB had constantly opposed the government&#39;s stand in the Triple Talaq case and hence, they&#39;re now a defeated party. Thus, they carry no legal and moral standing to dictate the government on the provisions of the proposed law anymore.</p>

<p>Second, their opposition to criminalising the offenders of Triple Talaq or suggestion to reduce the punishment terms is not logical. The whole idea to put forth this legislation is to stop instant triple talaq and the same can&#39;t happen unless a strong deterrence is put into place. The said deterrence can happen only through a cognizable and non-bailable provision. Anything below that would defeat the purpose. The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 not only criminalized Sati system but had also provided for life imprisonment or death penalty for the abettors of the crime which served the required deterrence in Sati cases. Hence, any diluted punishment wouldn&#39;t solve the purpose.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Thirdly, by opposing the inclusion of &quot;or any similar forms of talaq&quot; in the definition of the Bill, the AIMPLB is trying nothing but attempting a back door legitimacy plan for other similar provisions of Talaq, like Talaq-e-bain, which is even more dangerous.</p>

<p>Talaq-e-bain occurs when a husband speaks to his wife about his intention to no longer live with her, though not clearly speaking the word &lsquo;Talaq&rsquo;; the husband may express his intention with or without the motive of Talaq. If the intention to live separate was made without the motive of Talaq, the same will not happen. However, if the intention was said with the motive of Talaq, the same will be considered done and the wife will become haram to her husband from that point onward. Talaq-e-bain is instant and it doesn&rsquo;t require a man to speak the word &lsquo;talaq&rsquo; thrice.</p>

<p>Talaq-e-bain is also not supported by Quran or any major Hadith and if the same is left unstopped, it would give a leeway to Muslims to divorce their women instantly without explicitly saying &#39;talaq&#39; three times, and thus escaping the noose of the proposed law. It&#39;s important to see through the AIMPLB game plan.</p>

<p>Thus, if the government wants to achieve the goal of ensuring gender justice and emancipating the Muslim women from the oppression of their men then it&rsquo;s imperative that all non-Quranic forms of Talaq practices must be outlawed and strong punitive measures must be legislated to act as an effective deterrence against such misogynistic practices.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><i>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</i></p>


The AIMPLB carry no legal and moral standing to dictate the government on the provisions of the proposed law anymore

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, popularly known as the Triple Talaq Bill, which has been tabled today in the Rajya Sabha for its consideration and clearance, has generated a lot of heat in the political and the media space over the past few days. The bill, which is being touted as the most progressive legislation for the emancipation of Muslim Women in India, is also one of the most polarising one within the community where it divides the population in nearly two halves broadly along the line of the sex of the members. While most of the women, including the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), are supporting the bill, the men including the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) are pitted against it. The AIMPLB came up with a resolution opposing the Bill where it termed the legislation to be “against the welfare of Muslim women at large” and believed that “it shall harm the interest of Muslim Women and the family” because in its opinion, the Bill fails to take into consideration the “adverse consequences of the proposed law and welfare of the women and children pursuant to a ‘non effective’ Talaq.” It is pertinent to mention that the Bill has been conceived in the aftermath of a decision by the Supreme Court in August this year in the famous case of Shaiara Bano vs Union of India & Others, wherein the Court had set aside the practice of Instant Triple Talaq among the Muslims as unconstitutional. While putting forth the Bill, a statement of ‘Objects and Reasons of the Bill’ was also brought up by the Ministry of Law that explained, “There is a need for State action to give effect to the order of the Supreme Court and to redress the grievances of victims of illegal divorce. In order to prevent the continued harassment being meted out to the hapless married Muslim women due to Talaq-e-Biddat, urgent suitable legislation is necessary to give some relief to them…The legislation would help in ensuring the larger Constitutional goals of gender justice and gender equality of married Muslim women and would help subserve their fundamental rights of non-discrimination and empowerment.” However, the legislation is a must and its enactment urgent. The government revealed that even after the Supreme Court set aside instant triple talaq in August this year, the practice didn’t stop and more than 60 cases of instant triple talaq were reported in the country since then. Hence, its clear that such a practice isn’t going to stop unless a strong law is put into place. Shaista Amber, the President of the AIMWPLB had led a Muslim Women delegation to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to press for a bill on August 8 this year. After the meeting, she had told the media, “We proposed punishment and penalty for those who do not give equal right to women. I am thankful to the government for acting on the issue. AIMPLB is opposing the bill and abusing the rights of women.” While launching a broadside against the AIMPLB, she had fulminated - “Why don’t they (The AIMPLB members) consider Muslim women as equal partners? Why do they want to create a communal feeling among the Muslims when the society is going for reforms? Why are they saying the bill would promote interference in religious matters? Why do they want to protect such men who use women and abandon them at their will?” The stand of the AIMPLB is terribly flawed on the matter and they no longer carry a locus standi on the proposed Bill from moral as well as a legal perspective. First, the AIMPLB was an opposing party in the Shaira Bano case in the Supreme Court, which had demolished its arguments on Triple Talaq issue. The AIMPLB had constantly opposed the government's stand in the Triple Talaq case and hence, they're now a defeated party. Thus, they carry no legal and moral standing to dictate the government on the provisions of the proposed law anymore. Second, their opposition to criminalising the offenders of Triple Talaq or suggestion to reduce the punishment terms is not logical. The whole idea to put forth this legislation is to stop instant triple talaq and the same can't happen unless a strong deterrence is put into place. The said deterrence can happen only through a cognizable and non-bailable provision. Anything below that would defeat the purpose. The Commission of Sati (Prevention) Act, 1987 not only criminalized Sati system but had also provided for life imprisonment or death penalty for the abettors of the crime which served the required deterrence in Sati cases. Hence, any diluted punishment wouldn't solve the purpose. Thirdly, by opposing the inclusion of "or any similar forms of talaq" in the definition of the Bill, the AIMPLB is trying nothing but attempting a back door legitimacy plan for other similar provisions of Talaq, like Talaq-e-bain, which is even more dangerous. Talaq-e-bain occurs when a husband speaks to his wife about his intention to no longer live with her, though not clearly speaking the word ‘Talaq’; the husband may express his intention with or without the motive of Talaq. If the intention to live separate was made without the motive of Talaq, the same will not happen. However, if the intention was said with the motive of Talaq, the same will be considered done and the wife will become haram to her husband from that point onward. Talaq-e-bain is instant and it doesn’t require a man to speak the word ‘talaq’ thrice. Talaq-e-bain is also not supported by Quran or any major Hadith and if the same is left unstopped, it would give a leeway to Muslims to divorce their women instantly without explicitly saying 'talaq' three times, and thus escaping the noose of the proposed law. It's important to see through the AIMPLB game plan. Thus, if the government wants to achieve the goal of ensuring gender justice and emancipating the Muslim women from the oppression of their men then it’s imperative that all non-Quranic forms of Talaq practices must be outlawed and strong punitive measures must be legislated to act as an effective deterrence against such misogynistic practices. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Why objections of AIMPLB on Triple Talaq is not valid

<p>Disruptions followed as soon as the triple talaq Bill was tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Speaker adjourned&nbsp;the Upper House&nbsp;till 11 am Thursday within a few hours as the Opposition pressed to the government&nbsp;to send the bill to the Select&nbsp;Committee.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am, tomorrow after continued pandemonium over <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/U5nKC0BSG9">pic.twitter.com/U5nKC0BSG9</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948500923709456384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>As Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabled the bill in Rajya Sabha, Congress immediately moved a resolution to send the bill to the standing committee.</p>

<p>Finance minister Arun Jaitley said it was an &quot;invalid resolution&quot;.</p>

<p>Jaitley asserted that the motion should have been submitted a day earlier, adding that a motion has to be given at least 24 hours in advance.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The house is taken by surprise that a motion is suddenly moved, it has not been submitted a day before. The motion has to be give at least 24 hours in advance: Arun Jaitley on Anand Sharma&#39;s notice <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/GbQZw3Nskk">pic.twitter.com/GbQZw3Nskk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948494898117754881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The whole country is watching that in the other house you supported the bill and in this house you are trying to derail the bill: Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948495761234251778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Jaitley said that the motion should not be referred to Select Committee. Citing urgency, he said that the legislature must act with a sense of responsibility.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reason why it should not be referred (to select committee) is that when the practice was declared unconstitutional, 2 of the judges held it as unfair &amp; used their extraordinary power to suspend it for 6 months, which expire on 22 Feb: Arun Jaitley in RS <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> 1/2</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948497931883048960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Judges said, &#39;we are now suspending it for 6 months &amp; we beseech all parties, therefore within this period come out with apt legislation.&#39; So, there is an urgency that country expects from Parl. Legislature must act with sense of responsibility: Jaitley in RS <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> 2/2</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948498346775162880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The bill was earlier presented by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="hi"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> tabled in Rajya Sabha by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948491264869019648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>While addressing the Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad cited a case of the latest victim of triple talaq in Moradabad.</p>

<p>He said,&quot;Even after passage of Triple Talaq in Lok Sabha the practice is continuing, a woman in Moradabad was given triple talaq over dowry.&quot;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Even after passage of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> in Lok Sabha the practice is continuing, a woman in Moradabad was given <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaq</a> over dowry: Law Minister RS Prasad in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://t.co/otec2iq6GE">pic.twitter.com/otec2iq6GE</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948491918429716480?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Pandemonium in Rajya Sabha after tabling of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/5bp7GZgPy4">pic.twitter.com/5bp7GZgPy4</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948492825452138497?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, seeks to criminalise triple talaq.</p>

<p>The Congress, Left, and the AIADMK and DMK have supported the bill but have called for the modifications of certain provisions, claiming the bill could upset the sentiments of Muslim women.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Left parties, which have had consultations with the Congress in the past week, have asked that the bill &quot;be referred to a select committee&quot;.</p>


While addressing the Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad cited a case of a woman in Moradabad who is the latest victim of Triple Talaq

Disruptions followed as soon as the triple talaq Bill was tabled in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Speaker adjourned the Upper House till 11 am Thursday within a few hours as the Opposition pressed to the government to send the bill to the Select Committee. Rajya Sabha adjourned till 11 am, tomorrow after continued pandemonium over #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/U5nKC0BSG9 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × As Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tabled the bill in Rajya Sabha, Congress immediately moved a resolution to send the bill to the standing committee. Finance minister Arun Jaitley said it was an "invalid resolution". Jaitley asserted that the motion should have been submitted a day earlier, adding that a motion has to be given at least 24 hours in advance. The house is taken by surprise that a motion is suddenly moved, it has not been submitted a day before. The motion has to be give at least 24 hours in advance: Arun Jaitley on Anand Sharma's notice #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/GbQZw3Nskk — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × The whole country is watching that in the other house you supported the bill and in this house you are trying to derail the bill: Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha #TripleTalaqBill — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Jaitley said that the motion should not be referred to Select Committee. Citing urgency, he said that the legislature must act with a sense of responsibility. Reason why it should not be referred (to select committee) is that when the practice was declared unconstitutional, 2 of the judges held it as unfair & used their extraordinary power to suspend it for 6 months, which expire on 22 Feb: Arun Jaitley in RS #TripleTalaqBill 1/2 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Judges said, 'we are now suspending it for 6 months & we beseech all parties, therefore within this period come out with apt legislation.' So, there is an urgency that country expects from Parl. Legislature must act with sense of responsibility: Jaitley in RS #TripleTalaqBill 2/2 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × The bill was earlier presented by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. #TripleTalaqBill tabled in Rajya Sabha by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × While addressing the Rajya Sabha, Ravi Shankar Prasad cited a case of the latest victim of triple talaq in Moradabad. He said,"Even after passage of Triple Talaq in Lok Sabha the practice is continuing, a woman in Moradabad was given triple talaq over dowry." Even after passage of #TripleTalaqBill in Lok Sabha the practice is continuing, a woman in Moradabad was given #TripleTalaq over dowry: Law Minister RS Prasad in Rajya Sabha pic.twitter.com/otec2iq6GE — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Pandemonium in Rajya Sabha after tabling of #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/5bp7GZgPy4 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, seeks to criminalise triple talaq. The Congress, Left, and the AIADMK and DMK have supported the bill but have called for the modifications of certain provisions, claiming the bill could upset the sentiments of Muslim women. The Left parties, which have had consultations with the Congress in the past week, have asked that the bill "be referred to a select committee".

NDA tables triple talaq bill, Opposition disrupts Rajya Sabha

<p>Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at the Congress for opposing the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-bill-tabled-in-rajya-sabha-28436" target="_blank">Triple Talaq Bill</a>.</p>

<p>Jaitley said that the support that the Congress party extended for the Triple Talaq bill in Lok Sabha was a sham. He further blamed the party for disrupting the Upper House and not letting an end to the &quot;injustice&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p>He said &quot; It is clear that the Congress Party is opposing the Triple Talaq Bill. The support they extended in Lok Sabha was a sham. Today was a golden moment for the House to end the injustice, but because of Congress it could not happen.&quot;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is clear that the Congress Party is opposing the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a>. The support they extended in Lok Sabha was a sham. Today was a golden moment for the House to end the injustice, but because of Congress it could not happen : Union Minister Arun Jaitley <a href="https://t.co/6VCnKq8or3">pic.twitter.com/6VCnKq8or3</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948528094943432705?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Earlier in the Upper House of Parliament, Jaitley called the opposition&#39;s demand of Standing Committee as &quot;invalid Resolution&quot;. He said that such motion should be given 24 hours in advance.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The house is taken by surprise that a motion is suddenly moved, it has not been submitted a day before. The motion has to be give at least 24 hours in advance: Arun Jaitley on Anand Sharma&#39;s notice <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/GbQZw3Nskk">pic.twitter.com/GbQZw3Nskk</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948494898117754881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The whole country is watching that in the other house you supported the bill and in this house you are trying to derail the bill: Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948495761234251778?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>He also gave reasons for why the bill should not be referred to the Select Committee.</p>

<p>Referring to the six-month injunction to the bill he said that the country expects an urgency from the Parliament. He added that the Legislature must act with a sense of responsibility.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Reason why it should not be referred (to select committee) is that when the practice was declared unconstitutional, 2 of the judges held it as unfair &amp; used their extraordinary power to suspend it for 6 months, which expire on 22 Feb: Arun Jaitley in RS <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> 1/2</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948497931883048960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Judges said, &#39;we are now suspending it for 6 months &amp; we beseech all parties, therefore within this period come out with apt legislation.&#39; So, there is an urgency that country expects from Parl. Legislature must act with sense of responsibility: Jaitley in RS <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> 2/2</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948498346775162880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Congress leader Kapil Sibal responded to Arun Jaitley.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He (Arun Jaitley) referred to judgement of SC, I want to correct the record because I appeared in the case on behalf of Muslim Personal Law Board. What he said was in context of the minority judgement: Kapil Sibal, Congress in Rajya Sabha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948499858817613826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Sibal later said that they agree with the bill, but not with the criminalisation.</p>

<p>He said &quot; We are for this bill, as SC deemed the practice as unconstitutional and that is what the bill says, we agree with it, but when it comes to criminalization, neither minority nor majority judgement (of SC) mentioned it, that is what we oppose.&quot;&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are for this bill, as SC deemed the practice as unconstitutional &amp; that is what the bill says, we agree with it, but when it comes to criminalization, neither minority nor majority judgement (of SC) mentioned it, that is what we oppose: Kapil Sibal, Congress <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/Th6dkvfmya">pic.twitter.com/Th6dkvfmya</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948556188848828416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad cited a recent incident of Triple Talaq. He said Congress which supported the Triple Talaq in Lok Sabha took a completely divergent view in Rajya Sabha. He added that the Congress supported the bill in Lok Sabha because&nbsp;they were in less number.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Even y&#39;day, triple talaq happened in UP. Congress which supported <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> in Lok Sabha, took a completely divergent view in Rajya Sabha. They supported it in LS in compulsion since they were less in no. Let the country know Cong&#39; hypocrisy &amp; double standard: RS Prasad <a href="https://t.co/9UgXx3dBby">pic.twitter.com/9UgXx3dBby</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948508721931370496?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Trinamool Congress MP Derek O Brien referred to the bill as &quot;faulty&quot; and&nbsp;said that the bill should be consulted with stakeholders.</p>

<p>He said that &quot; We are all for this bill, it is a faulty bill. No womens&#39; groups, stakeholders were consulted. All we ask for is that talk to stakeholders&quot;.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">We are all for this bill, it is a faulty bill. No womens&#39; groups, stakeholders were consulted. All we ask for is that talk to all stakeholders: Trinamool Congress MP Derek O&#39; Brien <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/7Dj8GAeD8y">pic.twitter.com/7Dj8GAeD8y</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948512112350916608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>SP leader Naresh Agrawal doubted on the women who were present in Rajya Sabha to observe the tabling of the bill.</p>

<p>He said &quot; What is the guarantee&nbsp;that the women present (in the Rajya Sabha to observe tabling of Triple Talaq) were Muslim. Did you see? Who knows they might be members of BJP <em>Mahila&nbsp;morcha</em>?</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="hi">Iski kya gurantee hai ki woh Muslim thi? Aapne dekha? Kya pata BJP ke mahila morcha ki sadasya hon?: Naresh Agrawal, SP on Muslim women who were present in Rajya Sabha to observe tabling of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBil?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBil</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pz1Gl2zns2">pic.twitter.com/Pz1Gl2zns2</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948514185113100289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said &quot;This government is trying to mislead Muslim women and the general public,&quot;&nbsp;&quot;What are they giving to Muslim women. They are merely projecting themselves as their &#39;messiah&#39;, but they are in fact only trying to befool the Muslim women,&quot; &quot;When the husband of the Muslim woman goes to jail as per the law, who will run the family. We wanted the government to have provisions for the welfare of women.</p>

<p>West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee said &quot;We did not oppose the triple talaq bill because we are for women. I know many Muslims who abide by the law. This bill, brought by the BJP government, is a defective one. &quot;Instead of protecting the Muslim women, it will cause them harm. The BJP is playing petty politics with the bill,&quot;.</p>

<p>The Triple Talaq bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha today by&nbsp;Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.</p>

<p>Disruptions followed as soon as the Bill was tabled leading to&nbsp;adjournment of the Upper House&nbsp;till 11 am Thursday.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Triple Talaq bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha today by?Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at the Congress for opposing the Triple Talaq Bill. Jaitley said that the support that the Congress party extended for the Triple Talaq bill in Lok Sabha was a sham. He further blamed the party for disrupting the Upper House and not letting an end to the "injustice". He said " It is clear that the Congress Party is opposing the Triple Talaq Bill. The support they extended in Lok Sabha was a sham. Today was a golden moment for the House to end the injustice, but because of Congress it could not happen." It is clear that the Congress Party is opposing the #TripleTalaqBill. The support they extended in Lok Sabha was a sham. Today was a golden moment for the House to end the injustice, but because of Congress it could not happen : Union Minister Arun Jaitley pic.twitter.com/6VCnKq8or3 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Earlier in the Upper House of Parliament, Jaitley called the opposition's demand of Standing Committee as "invalid Resolution". He said that such motion should be given 24 hours in advance. The house is taken by surprise that a motion is suddenly moved, it has not been submitted a day before. The motion has to be give at least 24 hours in advance: Arun Jaitley on Anand Sharma's notice #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/GbQZw3Nskk — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × The whole country is watching that in the other house you supported the bill and in this house you are trying to derail the bill: Arun Jaitley in Rajya Sabha #TripleTalaqBill — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × He also gave reasons for why the bill should not be referred to the Select Committee. Referring to the six-month injunction to the bill he said that the country expects an urgency from the Parliament. He added that the Legislature must act with a sense of responsibility. Reason why it should not be referred (to select committee) is that when the practice was declared unconstitutional, 2 of the judges held it as unfair & used their extraordinary power to suspend it for 6 months, which expire on 22 Feb: Arun Jaitley in RS #TripleTalaqBill 1/2 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Judges said, 'we are now suspending it for 6 months & we beseech all parties, therefore within this period come out with apt legislation.' So, there is an urgency that country expects from Parl. Legislature must act with sense of responsibility: Jaitley in RS #TripleTalaqBill 2/2 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Congress leader Kapil Sibal responded to Arun Jaitley. He (Arun Jaitley) referred to judgement of SC, I want to correct the record because I appeared in the case on behalf of Muslim Personal Law Board. What he said was in context of the minority judgement: Kapil Sibal, Congress in Rajya Sabha #TripleTalaqBill — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Sibal later said that they agree with the bill, but not with the criminalisation. He said " We are for this bill, as SC deemed the practice as unconstitutional and that is what the bill says, we agree with it, but when it comes to criminalization, neither minority nor majority judgement (of SC) mentioned it, that is what we oppose." We are for this bill, as SC deemed the practice as unconstitutional & that is what the bill says, we agree with it, but when it comes to criminalization, neither minority nor majority judgement (of SC) mentioned it, that is what we oppose: Kapil Sibal, Congress #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/Th6dkvfmya — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad cited a recent incident of Triple Talaq. He said Congress which supported the Triple Talaq in Lok Sabha took a completely divergent view in Rajya Sabha. He added that the Congress supported the bill in Lok Sabha because they were in less number. Even y'day, triple talaq happened in UP. Congress which supported #TripleTalaqBill in Lok Sabha, took a completely divergent view in Rajya Sabha. They supported it in LS in compulsion since they were less in no. Let the country know Cong' hypocrisy & double standard: RS Prasad pic.twitter.com/9UgXx3dBby — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × Trinamool Congress MP Derek O Brien referred to the bill as "faulty" and said that the bill should be consulted with stakeholders. He said that " We are all for this bill, it is a faulty bill. No womens' groups, stakeholders were consulted. All we ask for is that talk to stakeholders". We are all for this bill, it is a faulty bill. No womens' groups, stakeholders were consulted. All we ask for is that talk to all stakeholders: Trinamool Congress MP Derek O' Brien #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/7Dj8GAeD8y — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × SP leader Naresh Agrawal doubted on the women who were present in Rajya Sabha to observe the tabling of the bill. He said " What is the guarantee that the women present (in the Rajya Sabha to observe tabling of Triple Talaq) were Muslim. Did you see? Who knows they might be members of BJP Mahila morcha? Iski kya gurantee hai ki woh Muslim thi? Aapne dekha? Kya pata BJP ke mahila morcha ki sadasya hon?: Naresh Agrawal, SP on Muslim women who were present in Rajya Sabha to observe tabling of #TripleTalaqBil pic.twitter.com/Pz1Gl2zns2 — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2018 × The leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said "This government is trying to mislead Muslim women and the general public," "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," "When the husband of the Muslim woman goes to jail as per the law, who will run the family. We wanted the government to have provisions for the welfare of women. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamta Banerjee said "We did not oppose the triple talaq bill because we are for women. I know many Muslims who abide by the law. This bill, brought by the BJP government, is a defective one. "Instead of protecting the Muslim women, it will cause them harm. The BJP is playing petty politics with the bill,". The Triple Talaq bill was tabled in the Rajya Sabha today by Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Disruptions followed as soon as the Bill was tabled leading to adjournment of the Upper House till 11 am Thursday.

Government, Opposition spar over triple talaq

<p>The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, seeking to criminalise triple talaq, will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today.</p>

<p>The Congress, Left, and the AIADMK and DMK have supported the bill but have called for the modifications of certain provisions, claiming the bill could upset the sentiments of Muslim women.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The Left parties, which have had consultations with the Congress in the past week, have asked that the bill &quot;be referred to a select committee&quot;.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">BJP issues a three line whip for all its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs asking them to remain present in the Parliament on Jan 2nd and 3rd for passage of several crucial bills during the period <a href="https://t.co/nXbKeUtcb5">pic.twitter.com/nXbKeUtcb5</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/948015003273068544?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The contentious bill had garnered a mixed response from all parties when it was introduced in the lower house but it was passed after the house rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members.</p>

<p>The opposition parties have expressed reservations over the inclusion of a jail term -- extending to three years -- for people who continue to use triple talaq.</p>

<p>They have said the jail term may be excessive and some Muslim organisations like&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aimplb-says-will-request-pm-to-withhold-withdraw-triple-talaq-bill-27594">All India Muslim Personal Law Board</a>&nbsp;(AIMPLB) have said the Supreme Court ruling striking down triple talaq as unconstitutional is against Sharia law.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP however is hopeful the bill will find passage.</p>

<p>&quot;I have complete conviction that Congress will support the Bill the same way it did in Lok Sabha, or else the minority women will not spare them,&quot; Union Minister Giriraj Singh told ANI on Monday.</p>

<p>Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar echoed the same conviction.</p>

<p>&quot;I believe all our office-bearers will talk to all parties, and all parties will understand the problem faced by our aggrieved sisters. This bill, I believe, will be passed in the Rajya Sabha,&quot;</p>

<p>All eyes are on the Congress for the party&#39;s stance may decide the fate of the bill in the upper house. The Congress has also asked for the bill to be referred to a standing committee so that its clauses could be put under the microscope.&nbsp;</p>


The bill was passed in the Lok Sabha last week

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, seeking to criminalise triple talaq, will be tabled in the Rajya Sabha today. The Congress, Left, and the AIADMK and DMK have supported the bill but have called for the modifications of certain provisions, claiming the bill could upset the sentiments of Muslim women. The Left parties, which have had consultations with the Congress in the past week, have asked that the bill "be referred to a select committee". BJP issues a three line whip for all its Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs asking them to remain present in the Parliament on Jan 2nd and 3rd for passage of several crucial bills during the period pic.twitter.com/nXbKeUtcb5 — ANI (@ANI) January 2, 2018 × The contentious bill had garnered a mixed response from all parties when it was introduced in the lower house but it was passed after the house rejected a string of amendments moved by various opposition members. The opposition parties have expressed reservations over the inclusion of a jail term -- extending to three years -- for people who continue to use triple talaq. They have said the jail term may be excessive and some Muslim organisations like All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have said the Supreme Court ruling striking down triple talaq as unconstitutional is against Sharia law. The BJP however is hopeful the bill will find passage. "I have complete conviction that Congress will support the Bill the same way it did in Lok Sabha, or else the minority women will not spare them," Union Minister Giriraj Singh told ANI on Monday. Union Minister Narendra Singh Tomar echoed the same conviction. "I believe all our office-bearers will talk to all parties, and all parties will understand the problem faced by our aggrieved sisters. This bill, I believe, will be passed in the Rajya Sabha," All eyes are on the Congress for the party's stance may decide the fate of the bill in the upper house. The Congress has also asked for the bill to be referred to a standing committee so that its clauses could be put under the microscope.

Triple talaq bill to be tabled in Rajya Sabha today

<p>Terming the policy of allowing Muslim women to perform Haj only in the company of a male guardian as &quot;injustice&quot;, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has removed the restriction following which hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage.</p>

<p>According to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, now Muslim women aged above 45 will be allowed to go for the pilgrimage without &#39;mahram&#39; in a group of at least four.</p>

<p>In his monthly radio address of &#39;Mann ki baat&#39;, the prime minister said removal of the restriction of having a male guardian or &#39;mahram&#39; may appear as a &quot;small thing&quot;, but such issues &quot;have a far reaching impact on our image as a society&quot;.</p>

<p>He said when he first heard of the restriction, he was surprised as to who wold have drafted such a rule.</p>

<p>&quot;Why this discrimination? And when I went into the depth of the matter I was surprised to find that even after 70 years of our independence, we were the ones who had imposed these restrictions. For decades, injustice was being rendered to Muslim women but there was no discussion on it,&quot; he said in his broadcast.</p>

<p>He pointed out that such a restriction is not prevalent in many Islamic countries.</p>

<p>&quot;I am happy to note that this time about 1300 Muslim women have applied to perform Haj without &#39;mahram&#39; and women from different parts of the country from Kerala to north India, have expressed their wish to go for the Haj pilgrimage,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>He said he has suggested to the Ministry of Minority Affairs that they should ensure that all women who have applied to travel alone be allowed to perform Haj.</p>

<p>&quot;Usually there is a lottery system for selection of Haj pilgrims but I would like that single women pilgrims should be excluded from this lottery system and they should be given a chance as a special category,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>He said it is his firm belief that the journey of India?s progress has been possible due to women-power and on the basis of their talent...It should be our constant endeavour that our women also get equal rights and equal opportunities...,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>While referring to Muslim women and their rights, the prime minister did not mention about the bill passed by Lok Sabha last week which bans the practice of instant triple talaq.</p>

<p>He, however, had referred to the issue of instant triple talaq or &#39;talaq-e-biddat&#39; while inaugurating the 85th Sivagiri Pilgrimage Celebrations at Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conference this morning.</p>

<p>Referring to Christmas, Modi said Jesus Christ taught us about the spirit of service or &#39;sewa bhaav&#39;.</p>

<p>&quot;Be it any religion, caste or creed, tradition or colour in this world; the spirit of service is an invaluable hallmark of the highest human values,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>He also recalled the life of Guru Gobind Singh which was full of instances of courage and sacrifice.</p>

<p>On the 350th anniversary of the Sikh guru, he said Guru Gobind Singh preached the virtues of sublime human values and at the same time, practiced them in his own life in letter and spirit.</p>


Following the removal of restriction, hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage

Terming the policy of allowing Muslim women to perform Haj only in the company of a male guardian as "injustice", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has removed the restriction following which hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage. According to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, now Muslim women aged above 45 will be allowed to go for the pilgrimage without 'mahram' in a group of at least four. In his monthly radio address of 'Mann ki baat', the prime minister said removal of the restriction of having a male guardian or 'mahram' may appear as a "small thing", but such issues "have a far reaching impact on our image as a society". He said when he first heard of the restriction, he was surprised as to who wold have drafted such a rule. "Why this discrimination? And when I went into the depth of the matter I was surprised to find that even after 70 years of our independence, we were the ones who had imposed these restrictions. For decades, injustice was being rendered to Muslim women but there was no discussion on it," he said in his broadcast. He pointed out that such a restriction is not prevalent in many Islamic countries. "I am happy to note that this time about 1300 Muslim women have applied to perform Haj without 'mahram' and women from different parts of the country from Kerala to north India, have expressed their wish to go for the Haj pilgrimage," he said. He said he has suggested to the Ministry of Minority Affairs that they should ensure that all women who have applied to travel alone be allowed to perform Haj. "Usually there is a lottery system for selection of Haj pilgrims but I would like that single women pilgrims should be excluded from this lottery system and they should be given a chance as a special category," he said. He said it is his firm belief that the journey of India?s progress has been possible due to women-power and on the basis of their talent...It should be our constant endeavour that our women also get equal rights and equal opportunities...," he said. While referring to Muslim women and their rights, the prime minister did not mention about the bill passed by Lok Sabha last week which bans the practice of instant triple talaq. He, however, had referred to the issue of instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' while inaugurating the 85th Sivagiri Pilgrimage Celebrations at Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conference this morning. Referring to Christmas, Modi said Jesus Christ taught us about the spirit of service or 'sewa bhaav'. "Be it any religion, caste or creed, tradition or colour in this world; the spirit of service is an invaluable hallmark of the highest human values," he said. He also recalled the life of Guru Gobind Singh which was full of instances of courage and sacrifice. On the 350th anniversary of the Sikh guru, he said Guru Gobind Singh preached the virtues of sublime human values and at the same time, practiced them in his own life in letter and spirit.

Muslim women can travel for Haj without male guardian: Prime Minister Modi

<p>2017 has, as always, been a year of paradoxes for the judiciary. The Apex Court driven by the intellectual strength of its judges delivered some phenomenal judgements. Right to privacy was firmly established in our constitutional jurisprudence. In the process, a significant part of the affront involved in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was corrected. Triple Talaq was not only rightly held to be an unintegral part of Islam but constitutionally untenable, a bold step to take in a country where misogyny often passes off as a divine mandate. Firecrackers were banned, but in the process, the limits of enforcing orders in public interest litigations was exposed. The Indian judiciary though not known for its expeditious disposals, has never the less made significant strides in policy level adjudications and commercial matters. On the other hand, the Talwars were found to have spent time in prison unnecessarily and turns out the 2G spectrum scandal, was not truly a scandal.</p>

<p>We aced the policy challenge but failed to improve our record with trials. Where are we going wrong?</p>

<p><b>What does Vijay Mally tell us about Indian courts?</b></p>

<p>The World Bank, in its June 2017 study of the Indian subcontinent, found that in terms of contract enforcement, India ranks 164 in the world with an average time of 1445 days involved in the process coming at a cost of 31% of the value of the claim. In terms of how bad this is, one will see that Iraq ranks 144, twenty ranks better than India with an average time of 520 days involved for the case to be decided,&nbsp;coming at a cost of 28.1% of the claim.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In other words, in Iraq, I can enforce my contract sooner at a cost lesser than in India. No doubt the quality of adjudication appears to be much better in India. At 10.3, India ranked on par with many developed economies. The result,&nbsp;in our experience, is that while litigants secure good verdicts eventually, often their ability to enforce the verdict is frustrated. Thus, while the banks secured good verdicts against Mr. Vijay Mallya, it is too late to enforce them considering he is no longer here by the time the walls could close in.&nbsp;</p>

<p>One can dismiss the troubles of businesses with the judiciary as the superficial complaints of a bourgeoise elite.&nbsp; But the criminal justice system which is the poster child of the ordinary common man&rsquo;s experience with the criminal justice system, things are no better. The concept of a day to day trial as required under Section 309 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 remains a distant dream. Time-bound disposals of criminal cases mandated by special laws like the Protection from Children from Sexual Offences Act, 1973 and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, are never achieved.&nbsp;</p>

<p>But what happens after such a long and lengthy trial?</p>

<p>Besides making the accused and victim feel like they are being punished, the result of criminal trials is abysmal. Approximately 76% of sexual assault cases and 94-98% of corruption cases result in acquittal. In private complaints, involving a petty offence like dishonour of cheques, should the accused decide to avoid service of summons by absconding, the probability of the criminal justice system securing his presence is slim to none.&nbsp;</p>

<p>On an assessment of the overall performance of the Indian judiciary, what emerges is that despite the many trials and tribulations, we continue to remain steadfast in our fundamental values and philosophy. However, we are slow to ideate, slower to implement and averse to innovation. To my mind, while the need to increase the number of judges is definitely one solution, the larger solution lies in unlearning and relearning.</p>

<p><b>The number of judges or quality of judges?</b></p>

<p>In the <i>N.R. Bhat v. State of Karnataka by CBI</i>, Justice A.V. Chandrashekar introduced the concept of a pre-trial conference by reading it into the day to day trial requirements of Section 309 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Such a pretrial conference, taking the judge, the prosecution and the defence into confidence while setting out the days of the trial in advance, would go a long way in arresting frivolous adjournment pleas. The Supreme Court in <i>Vinod Kumar v. State of Punjab, </i>categorically laid down that cross examination of witnesses must be concluded on the very same day of their examination in criminal cases. Putting these two judgements together, a pre-trial conference followed by non-negotiable insistence on concluding the cross-examination of witnesses in criminal cases on the same day as their examination would effectively end the culture of prolonging the trial of criminal cases in India.&nbsp;</p>

<p>I cite these two judgements to highlight an important point, a creative and pragmatic approach is necessary to ensure procedures aimed at fairness don&rsquo;t end up becoming counterproductive. While a fundamental review of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is critical, the example of judicial creativity demonstrated in the <i>N.R. Bhat </i>and <i>Vinod Kumar </i>judgements shows that effective adjudication has less to do with quantity of judges and more to do with the quality of judges.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Furthermore, even before the procedures are fundamentally re-written, I think it is time, we measured the use of our procedures. For example the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 provides room for the court to secure the assistance of family welfare experts in matters involving family disputes. In Australia, visitation orders for children are monitored by outsourced agencies trained and vetted in order to ensure the court has a neutral report of the welfare of the child, making the determination of guardianship and visitation much easier and faster. But in India despite the concept of such outsourced persons and agencies being contemplated in the law, it is seldom utilised. Perhaps the time is ripe for a manual to be provided identifying existing innovations within our law and mandating their use by the court system. &nbsp;</p>

<p>To summarise, our procedures need to be revisited. One part of it involves changing the procedures altogether. But the other part of it involves reading the procedures in a manner which is jurisprudentially sound and yet capable of solving fundamental problems.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>Nepotism and poor pay</b></p>

<p>Commercial courts, though required to be established by law, are yet to begin operations in several states, including Karnataka and their absence has inflicted cynicism in the minds of businesses. Special courts under beneficial legislations like the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012 are nothing but existing courts donning an additional hat under a POCSO Act. What we need is not just special courts, but exclusive courts. In other words, we need exclusivity for our special courts and not just special court status under special legislations.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Secondly, no effort is being made to attract the right talent in our prosecution and government pleader ecosystem. The private sector offers much better compensation packages for the right legal talent and this is as true in India as it is in other countries. However, for those who may consider government service, they will be part of an ecosystem where nepotism remains a problem.</p>

<p>I have had the unfortunate experience of facing government pleaders who oppose much needed medical termination of pregnancies for minor children, simply because they think their job is to oppose every writ petition that comes before the Karnataka High Court. Our Advocate Generals and Solicitor Generals are often the best and the brightest, but the grassroot government pleader and the public prosecutor suffer from poor pay, poorer training and even poorer access to critical resources like staff and case law databases. Unless the government invests money in their careers, in building their capacity and their skill set and training, we can neither expect expeditious disposals nor can we expect more conscious prosecutions and convictions.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Big data and machine learning to nab criminals</strong></p>

<p>Investigation of Criminal cases is fundamentally challenging. Even the Federal Bureau of Investigation with all its sophisticated technology failed to apprehend the Unabomber for close to 17 years. Yet, what ultimately made the apprehension possible was a little-known technique back in the day called forensic linguistics. Based on the letters and publications of the Unabomber, what emerged was a unique approach to language, almost a linguistic signature of the bomber. A profile developed by FBI profiler James Fitzgerald using forensic linguistics ultimately led to the publication of the manifesto of the Unabomber, which was recognised by the Unabomber&rsquo;s younger brother. The result was the identification of Ted Kazynsky as the Unabomber. A Harvard educated mathematician with an IQ of 167, the Unabomber was an Intellectual elite, but even he could not evade the law all because he wrote and spoke in a unique manner.</p>

<p>After the Boston Bombing, when conventional facial recognition software could not provide a clear picture of the accused, an experimental technology of the University of Carnegie-Mellon&rsquo;s Cylab Biometric Center which analysed the low-resolution picture released by the FBI, was able to identify the accused in a controlled experiment. What made this technology work when existing facial recognition software failed? The answer lied in a concept called machine learning, a process by which computers are &ldquo;trained&rdquo; to perform tasks. In this case, the Center&rsquo;s technology was made to analyse thousands of faces in low resolution and high-resolution images, so that it can determine the bridge between low resolution and high-resolution images. The rationale of that bridge is then interpreted in the form of an algorithm which can then be used to develop high-resolution versions of low-resolution images. Image analytics and machine learning combined could greatly enhance the way suspects are identified using facial recognition software.</p>

<p>The Department of Mathematics and the Department of Anthropology at UCLA, USA, published a paper in 2017 highlighting the utilities of using Deep learning methods for real-time crime forecasting. The paper titled &ldquo;Deep Learning for Real Time Crime Forecasting&rdquo; by Bao Wang, Duo Zhang, Duanhao Zhang, P. Jeffrey Brantingham and Andre L. Bertozzi suggests that using deep learning methods, pilot experiments in Los Angeles revealed &ldquo;highly accurate predictive power&rdquo; of the models developed using deep learning methods.</p>

<p>I cite these case studies to make an important point- in India we don&rsquo;t know what we don&rsquo;t know. Forget forensic linguistics or offender profiling, machine learning or deep learning, I am yet to come across investigating officers in my training programmes who have some background in basics of criminal investigation, such as victimology and criminology. In an era of big data and analytics, India&rsquo;s use of statistical methods in crime solving is limited to the National Crime Records Bureau Statistics published every year.&nbsp; But these statistics contain rich information that could throw light into patterns, motivational classification for criminals, modus operandis and signatures in crimes, etc.</p>

<p>Machine learning and Deep Learning methods can enhance facial recognition software, enabling us to identify suspects from CCTV camera footage much faster and better. Analytics methods can help us reverse engineers crime scenes and victimology to determine the age profile, job profile and psychological characteristics of the suspect involved in the crime. Yet, we remain leaps behind in leveraging the full power of data analytics, machine learning, deep learning, behavioural sciences and artificial intelligence in investigating and prosecuting criminals in this country.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The need of the hour is to do away with the age-old classification of law and order, crime and traffic within the police and instead have a dedicated investigation cadre with further specialisation in specific offences like homicide, sexual assault, robbery, theft, etc. A dedicated think tank is necessary within law enforcement circles to explore the use of data analytics, behavioural sciences and other modern technologies to aid the investigator in deciphering clues and apprehending suspects. Unless we fundamentally redo investigating agencies in this country, conviction rates are unlikely to go up nor will we find closure in many critical cases.&nbsp;</p>

<p><b>A better Indian justice system in 2018?</b></p>

<p>The problems within the judiciary in the year 2017 are not fundamentally different from the problems faced by the judiciary in 1997 or 2015 even. Overworked, underpaid, delayed disposals and poor conviction rates have remained the common themes associated with our justice system. Yet, we have remained slow and unwilling to accept the problems in our fundamentals. In the year, 2018 I hope that as a population we move away from demanding different laws and instead petition for a reformed system. As proud as I am of all that we do every day in the justice system, I have seen the potential to do better, in the good intentions and passion of judges, prosecutors, policemen, lawyers, bench clerks and stenographers among others every day in the court system. Let us enable them to produce results by giving them the right training, tools and manuals. We owe it to them and we owe it to ourselves.</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</em></p>


In the year, 2018 I hope that as a population we move away from demanding different laws and instead petition for a reformed system.

2017 has, as always, been a year of paradoxes for the judiciary. The Apex Court driven by the intellectual strength of its judges delivered some phenomenal judgements. Right to privacy was firmly established in our constitutional jurisprudence. In the process, a significant part of the affront involved in Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code was corrected. Triple Talaq was not only rightly held to be an unintegral part of Islam but constitutionally untenable, a bold step to take in a country where misogyny often passes off as a divine mandate. Firecrackers were banned, but in the process, the limits of enforcing orders in public interest litigations was exposed. The Indian judiciary though not known for its expeditious disposals, has never the less made significant strides in policy level adjudications and commercial matters. On the other hand, the Talwars were found to have spent time in prison unnecessarily and turns out the 2G spectrum scandal, was not truly a scandal. We aced the policy challenge but failed to improve our record with trials. Where are we going wrong? What does Vijay Mally tell us about Indian courts? The World Bank, in its June 2017 study of the Indian subcontinent, found that in terms of contract enforcement, India ranks 164 in the world with an average time of 1445 days involved in the process coming at a cost of 31% of the value of the claim. In terms of how bad this is, one will see that Iraq ranks 144, twenty ranks better than India with an average time of 520 days involved for the case to be decided, coming at a cost of 28.1% of the claim. In other words, in Iraq, I can enforce my contract sooner at a cost lesser than in India. No doubt the quality of adjudication appears to be much better in India. At 10.3, India ranked on par with many developed economies. The result, in our experience, is that while litigants secure good verdicts eventually, often their ability to enforce the verdict is frustrated. Thus, while the banks secured good verdicts against Mr. Vijay Mallya, it is too late to enforce them considering he is no longer here by the time the walls could close in. One can dismiss the troubles of businesses with the judiciary as the superficial complaints of a bourgeoise elite. But the criminal justice system which is the poster child of the ordinary common man’s experience with the criminal justice system, things are no better. The concept of a day to day trial as required under Section 309 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 remains a distant dream. Time-bound disposals of criminal cases mandated by special laws like the Protection from Children from Sexual Offences Act, 1973 and the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, are never achieved. But what happens after such a long and lengthy trial? Besides making the accused and victim feel like they are being punished, the result of criminal trials is abysmal. Approximately 76% of sexual assault cases and 94-98% of corruption cases result in acquittal. In private complaints, involving a petty offence like dishonour of cheques, should the accused decide to avoid service of summons by absconding, the probability of the criminal justice system securing his presence is slim to none. On an assessment of the overall performance of the Indian judiciary, what emerges is that despite the many trials and tribulations, we continue to remain steadfast in our fundamental values and philosophy. However, we are slow to ideate, slower to implement and averse to innovation. To my mind, while the need to increase the number of judges is definitely one solution, the larger solution lies in unlearning and relearning. The number of judges or quality of judges? In the N.R. Bhat v. State of Karnataka by CBI, Justice A.V. Chandrashekar introduced the concept of a pre-trial conference by reading it into the day to day trial requirements of Section 309 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. Such a pretrial conference, taking the judge, the prosecution and the defence into confidence while setting out the days of the trial in advance, would go a long way in arresting frivolous adjournment pleas. The Supreme Court in Vinod Kumar v. State of Punjab, categorically laid down that cross examination of witnesses must be concluded on the very same day of their examination in criminal cases. Putting these two judgements together, a pre-trial conference followed by non-negotiable insistence on concluding the cross-examination of witnesses in criminal cases on the same day as their examination would effectively end the culture of prolonging the trial of criminal cases in India. I cite these two judgements to highlight an important point, a creative and pragmatic approach is necessary to ensure procedures aimed at fairness don’t end up becoming counterproductive. While a fundamental review of the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 is critical, the example of judicial creativity demonstrated in the N.R. Bhat and Vinod Kumar judgements shows that effective adjudication has less to do with quantity of judges and more to do with the quality of judges. Furthermore, even before the procedures are fundamentally re-written, I think it is time, we measured the use of our procedures. For example the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 provides room for the court to secure the assistance of family welfare experts in matters involving family disputes. In Australia, visitation orders for children are monitored by outsourced agencies trained and vetted in order to ensure the court has a neutral report of the welfare of the child, making the determination of guardianship and visitation much easier and faster. But in India despite the concept of such outsourced persons and agencies being contemplated in the law, it is seldom utilised. Perhaps the time is ripe for a manual to be provided identifying existing innovations within our law and mandating their use by the court system. To summarise, our procedures need to be revisited. One part of it involves changing the procedures altogether. But the other part of it involves reading the procedures in a manner which is jurisprudentially sound and yet capable of solving fundamental problems. Nepotism and poor pay Commercial courts, though required to be established by law, are yet to begin operations in several states, including Karnataka and their absence has inflicted cynicism in the minds of businesses. Special courts under beneficial legislations like the Protection of Children From Sexual Offences Act, 2012 are nothing but existing courts donning an additional hat under a POCSO Act. What we need is not just special courts, but exclusive courts. In other words, we need exclusivity for our special courts and not just special court status under special legislations. Secondly, no effort is being made to attract the right talent in our prosecution and government pleader ecosystem. The private sector offers much better compensation packages for the right legal talent and this is as true in India as it is in other countries. However, for those who may consider government service, they will be part of an ecosystem where nepotism remains a problem. I have had the unfortunate experience of facing government pleaders who oppose much needed medical termination of pregnancies for minor children, simply because they think their job is to oppose every writ petition that comes before the Karnataka High Court. Our Advocate Generals and Solicitor Generals are often the best and the brightest, but the grassroot government pleader and the public prosecutor suffer from poor pay, poorer training and even poorer access to critical resources like staff and case law databases. Unless the government invests money in their careers, in building their capacity and their skill set and training, we can neither expect expeditious disposals nor can we expect more conscious prosecutions and convictions. Big data and machine learning to nab criminals Investigation of Criminal cases is fundamentally challenging. Even the Federal Bureau of Investigation with all its sophisticated technology failed to apprehend the Unabomber for close to 17 years. Yet, what ultimately made the apprehension possible was a little-known technique back in the day called forensic linguistics. Based on the letters and publications of the Unabomber, what emerged was a unique approach to language, almost a linguistic signature of the bomber. A profile developed by FBI profiler James Fitzgerald using forensic linguistics ultimately led to the publication of the manifesto of the Unabomber, which was recognised by the Unabomber’s younger brother. The result was the identification of Ted Kazynsky as the Unabomber. A Harvard educated mathematician with an IQ of 167, the Unabomber was an Intellectual elite, but even he could not evade the law all because he wrote and spoke in a unique manner. After the Boston Bombing, when conventional facial recognition software could not provide a clear picture of the accused, an experimental technology of the University of Carnegie-Mellon’s Cylab Biometric Center which analysed the low-resolution picture released by the FBI, was able to identify the accused in a controlled experiment. What made this technology work when existing facial recognition software failed? The answer lied in a concept called machine learning, a process by which computers are “trained” to perform tasks. In this case, the Center’s technology was made to analyse thousands of faces in low resolution and high-resolution images, so that it can determine the bridge between low resolution and high-resolution images. The rationale of that bridge is then interpreted in the form of an algorithm which can then be used to develop high-resolution versions of low-resolution images. Image analytics and machine learning combined could greatly enhance the way suspects are identified using facial recognition software. The Department of Mathematics and the Department of Anthropology at UCLA, USA, published a paper in 2017 highlighting the utilities of using Deep learning methods for real-time crime forecasting. The paper titled “Deep Learning for Real Time Crime Forecasting” by Bao Wang, Duo Zhang, Duanhao Zhang, P. Jeffrey Brantingham and Andre L. Bertozzi suggests that using deep learning methods, pilot experiments in Los Angeles revealed “highly accurate predictive power” of the models developed using deep learning methods. I cite these case studies to make an important point- in India we don’t know what we don’t know. Forget forensic linguistics or offender profiling, machine learning or deep learning, I am yet to come across investigating officers in my training programmes who have some background in basics of criminal investigation, such as victimology and criminology. In an era of big data and analytics, India’s use of statistical methods in crime solving is limited to the National Crime Records Bureau Statistics published every year. But these statistics contain rich information that could throw light into patterns, motivational classification for criminals, modus operandis and signatures in crimes, etc. Machine learning and Deep Learning methods can enhance facial recognition software, enabling us to identify suspects from CCTV camera footage much faster and better. Analytics methods can help us reverse engineers crime scenes and victimology to determine the age profile, job profile and psychological characteristics of the suspect involved in the crime. Yet, we remain leaps behind in leveraging the full power of data analytics, machine learning, deep learning, behavioural sciences and artificial intelligence in investigating and prosecuting criminals in this country. The need of the hour is to do away with the age-old classification of law and order, crime and traffic within the police and instead have a dedicated investigation cadre with further specialisation in specific offences like homicide, sexual assault, robbery, theft, etc. A dedicated think tank is necessary within law enforcement circles to explore the use of data analytics, behavioural sciences and other modern technologies to aid the investigator in deciphering clues and apprehending suspects. Unless we fundamentally redo investigating agencies in this country, conviction rates are unlikely to go up nor will we find closure in many critical cases. A better Indian justice system in 2018? The problems within the judiciary in the year 2017 are not fundamentally different from the problems faced by the judiciary in 1997 or 2015 even. Overworked, underpaid, delayed disposals and poor conviction rates have remained the common themes associated with our justice system. Yet, we have remained slow and unwilling to accept the problems in our fundamentals. In the year, 2018 I hope that as a population we move away from demanding different laws and instead petition for a reformed system. As proud as I am of all that we do every day in the justice system, I have seen the potential to do better, in the good intentions and passion of judges, prosecutors, policemen, lawyers, bench clerks and stenographers among others every day in the court system. Let us enable them to produce results by giving them the right training, tools and manuals. We owe it to them and we owe it to ourselves. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: What judiciary can learn from Vijay Mallya, Big data and private sector in 2018

<p>Introducing Triple Talaq Bill in Lok Sabha, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday that about 100 cases of Triple Talaq have come to light after Supreme Court&#39;s verdict.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Refuting the allegations that they were interfering in Shariat, he said that even the Islamic countries have regulated provisions of Triple Talaq.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This is a historic day, victims have suffered for years and they have been rewarded for their patience. Request all MPs to help pass <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> : Shaista Ambar, All India Muslim Women&#39;s Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) <a href="https://t.co/cnVQ9Ljqmp">pic.twitter.com/cnVQ9Ljqmp</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946300604145471488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&#39;&#39;When Islamic countries have regulated provisions of Triple Talaq then why can&#39;t we a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in Shariat,&#39;&#39; Prasad said.</p>

<p>The minister urged the lawmakers to understand the pain of Muslim women.</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;We must understand the pain of Muslim women. Today morning I read the news that a woman in Rampur was given talaq by her husband just because she woke up late,&#39;&#39; Prasad said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress in Lok Sabha said that bill has certain lacunae which should and can be rectified in the standing committee.</p>

<p>&#39;&#39;All of us are supporting this bill, but there are certain lacunae which should and can be rectified in the standing committee. We can sit together and sort out in a time bound manner,&#39;&#39; said Kharge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Earlier Congress said it will support the Bill in Parliament but said it will raise the issue of criminal provisions in the bill.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Prasad thanked Kharge for supporting the Bill and said if fine whatever suggestions that the opposition gives will be incorporated in the law.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I thank Kharge ji for supporting the Govt on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> , whatever suggestions they have they should tell us here, if fine we can incorporate them in the law: Ravi Shankar Prasad,Law Minister in Lok Sabha</p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946319739491565568?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&#39;&#39;I thank Kharge ji for supporting the Govt on Triple Talaq Bill. Whatever suggestions they have they should tell us here if fine we can incorporate them in the law,&#39;&#39; Prasad said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


''When Islamic countries have regulated provisions of Triple Talaq then why can't we a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in Shariat,'' Prasad said.

Introducing Triple Talaq Bill in Lok Sabha, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said on Thursday that about 100 cases of Triple Talaq have come to light after Supreme Court's verdict. Refuting the allegations that they were interfering in Shariat, he said that even the Islamic countries have regulated provisions of Triple Talaq. This is a historic day, victims have suffered for years and they have been rewarded for their patience. Request all MPs to help pass #TripleTalaqBill : Shaista Ambar, All India Muslim Women's Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB) pic.twitter.com/cnVQ9Ljqmp — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × ''When Islamic countries have regulated provisions of Triple Talaq then why can't we a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in Shariat,'' Prasad said. The minister urged the lawmakers to understand the pain of Muslim women. ''We must understand the pain of Muslim women. Today morning I read the news that a woman in Rampur was given talaq by her husband just because she woke up late,'' Prasad said. Meanwhile, Mallikarjun Kharge of Congress in Lok Sabha said that bill has certain lacunae which should and can be rectified in the standing committee. ''All of us are supporting this bill, but there are certain lacunae which should and can be rectified in the standing committee. We can sit together and sort out in a time bound manner,'' said Kharge. Earlier Congress said it will support the Bill in Parliament but said it will raise the issue of criminal provisions in the bill. Prasad thanked Kharge for supporting the Bill and said if fine whatever suggestions that the opposition gives will be incorporated in the law. I thank Kharge ji for supporting the Govt on #TripleTalaqBill , whatever suggestions they have they should tell us here, if fine we can incorporate them in the law: Ravi Shankar Prasad,Law Minister in Lok Sabha — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × ''I thank Kharge ji for supporting the Govt on Triple Talaq Bill. Whatever suggestions they have they should tell us here if fine we can incorporate them in the law,'' Prasad said.

About 100 cases of Triple Talaq have come to light after SC verdict: Ravi Shankar Prasad

<p>The Centre has decided to bring in legislation during the winter session of Parliament to end the practice of triple talaq. Sources said that a ministerial committee has been constituted to frame a law.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The decision comes in the wake of the judgement given by the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Shayara Bano vs Union of India and other connected matters. In a majority judgment, the court had set aside the practice of Talaq-e-biddat or triple talaq given by Muslim husbands.</p>

<p>The judgment upholds equal rights and the equal protection of every person enshrined under Article 14 of the Constitution, irrespective of majority or minority status. To give life to the order of the Supreme Court, the Centre has decided to take the matter forward and conferred within itself to either bring suitable legislation or amend existing provisions to make instantaneous triple talaq an offence.</p>

<p>Sources in the government say that the call for reforms in the personal law had arisen from the Muslim community itself. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had contended that on matters of religious practice, such as Talaq-e-biddat, it is for the legislature to make law. Sources say that the endeavour is to bring suitable legislation to end the practice.</p>

<p>Sources said the Centre has noticed that there have been reports of a&nbsp;number of divorces by way of Talaq-e-biddat happening even after the aforesaid judgement by the Supreme Court.</p>

<p>The Centre felt that this was because of two reasons.</p>

<p>Either the decision of the Supreme Court had not become common knowledge or the lack of deterrence was not changing the mindset on Talaq-e-biddat. In spite of advisories to members of the Muslim community against the practice, there seems to have been no decline in the practice of divorce by Talaq-e-biddat, the Centre noticed.</p>

<p>In a recent instance of Talaq-e-biddat, it was noticed that a person in a leading educational institution divorced his wife via WhatsApp and SMS. Subsequently, the wife approached the police.</p>

<p>The Centre says there may be many such unreported instances of triple talaq happening elsewhere in the country too.</p>

<p>The government feels that as the law stands today, the victims of Talaq-e-biddat&nbsp;have no option but to approach the police for the redressal of their grievances as the Muslim clergy would be of little assistance to them. Even police are helpless as no action can be taken against a husband giving triple talaq in the absence of punitive provisions in the law.</p>

<p>It is to this end that the government is enacting a legislation which will act as a deterrent to husbands divorcing their wives using triple talaq, and empowering Muslim women who find themselves helpless against the practice of &#39;Talaq-e-biddat&#39;.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</em></p>


The government is enacting a legislation which will act as a deterrent to husbands divorcing their wives using triple talaq, and empowering Muslim women who find themselves helpless against the practice of 'Talaq-e-biddat'.

The Centre has decided to bring in legislation during the winter session of Parliament to end the practice of triple talaq. Sources said that a ministerial committee has been constituted to frame a law. The decision comes in the wake of the judgement given by the Supreme Court of India in the matter of Shayara Bano vs Union of India and other connected matters. In a majority judgment, the court had set aside the practice of Talaq-e-biddat or triple talaq given by Muslim husbands. The judgment upholds equal rights and the equal protection of every person enshrined under Article 14 of the Constitution, irrespective of majority or minority status. To give life to the order of the Supreme Court, the Centre has decided to take the matter forward and conferred within itself to either bring suitable legislation or amend existing provisions to make instantaneous triple talaq an offence. Sources in the government say that the call for reforms in the personal law had arisen from the Muslim community itself. The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had contended that on matters of religious practice, such as Talaq-e-biddat, it is for the legislature to make law. Sources say that the endeavour is to bring suitable legislation to end the practice. Sources said the Centre has noticed that there have been reports of a number of divorces by way of Talaq-e-biddat happening even after the aforesaid judgement by the Supreme Court. The Centre felt that this was because of two reasons. Either the decision of the Supreme Court had not become common knowledge or the lack of deterrence was not changing the mindset on Talaq-e-biddat. In spite of advisories to members of the Muslim community against the practice, there seems to have been no decline in the practice of divorce by Talaq-e-biddat, the Centre noticed. In a recent instance of Talaq-e-biddat, it was noticed that a person in a leading educational institution divorced his wife via WhatsApp and SMS. Subsequently, the wife approached the police. The Centre says there may be many such unreported instances of triple talaq happening elsewhere in the country too. The government feels that as the law stands today, the victims of Talaq-e-biddat have no option but to approach the police for the redressal of their grievances as the Muslim clergy would be of little assistance to them. Even police are helpless as no action can be taken against a husband giving triple talaq in the absence of punitive provisions in the law. It is to this end that the government is enacting a legislation which will act as a deterrent to husbands divorcing their wives using triple talaq, and empowering Muslim women who find themselves helpless against the practice of 'Talaq-e-biddat'. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: Why there is a need for Triple Talaq bill

<p>A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday.</p>

<p>Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a &quot;historic day&quot; amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This law is for women&#39;s rights &amp; justice &amp; not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/feFU2W3faF">pic.twitter.com/feFU2W3faF</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946278525421600768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The law is about justice and respect for women and is not about any religion or community, he said, adding that the practice of instant triple has continued despite the Supreme Court order terming it void.</p>

<p>Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said after some opposition members claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution.</p>

<p>&quot;It is a historic day. We are making history today,&quot; Prasad said.</p>

<p>The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or &#39;talaq-e-biddat&#39; and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking &quot;subsistence allowance&quot; for herself and minor children.</p>

<p>The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue.</p>

<p>Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be bad or illegal and void.</p>

<p>According to the proposed law which would be applicable to the entire country except for Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of three years and a fine. It would be a non-bailable offence.</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the Opposition termed the&nbsp;bill as flawed.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This bill violates fundamental rights &amp; lacks legal coherence: Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/ch48CGIUvm">pic.twitter.com/ch48CGIUvm</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946275812327636992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill :BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab in Lok Sabha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/525aKIKrpD">pic.twitter.com/525aKIKrpD</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946277149861752832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The proposed law would give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking subsistence allowance for herself and minor children

A bill to make instant triple talaq illegal and void and awarding a jail term of three years for the husband was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad introduced the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, calling it a "historic day" amid opposition to its introduction by members of different parties, including RJD, AIMIM, BJD and All India Muslim League. This law is for women's rights & justice & not regarding any prayer, ritual or religion: Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/feFU2W3faF — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × The law is about justice and respect for women and is not about any religion or community, he said, adding that the practice of instant triple has continued despite the Supreme Court order terming it void. Parliament has to decide whether the victims of triple talaq have fundamental rights or not, he said after some opposition members claimed it violated the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution. "It is a historic day. We are making history today," Prasad said. The proposed law would only be applicable on instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' and give power to the victim to approach a magistrate seeking "subsistence allowance" for herself and minor children. The woman can also seek the custody of her minor children from the magistrate who will take a final call on the issue. Under the law, instant triple talaq in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- would be bad or illegal and void. According to the proposed law which would be applicable to the entire country except for Jammu and Kashmir, giving instant talaq would attract a jail term of three years and a fine. It would be a non-bailable offence. Meanwhile, the Opposition termed the bill as flawed. This bill violates fundamental rights & lacks legal coherence: Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/ch48CGIUvm — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × This bill is flawed, there are many internal contradictions in the Bill :BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab in Lok Sabha #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/525aKIKrpD — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 ×

Law about justice for women, not religion, says government as it tables triple talaq bill in Lok Sabha

<p>The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which criminalises <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/triple-talaq-all-you-need-to-know-19324">triple talaq</a> among Muslims, will be presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid several Muslim organisations as well as opposition parties&nbsp;such as Congress, Left and BJD voicing their concerns.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, the BJP is believed to have issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present&nbsp;to ensure that the introduction is smooth.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The BJP is understood to have issued the whip so that any stiff opposition from members on the other side at the introduction stage could be blocked.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Opposition parties have voiced reservations over the jail term -- which may extend to three years -- and fine included in the bill</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Opposition parties have voiced reservations over the jail term -- which may extend to three years -- and fine included in the bill" target="_blank"><i class="fa fa-share">&nbsp;</i></a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">&times;</a></div>
</div>
</div>

<p>The opposition parties have expressed their reservations over the given jail term for violators of the instant divorce, which may extend to three years and a fine for the accused and further envisages entitling Muslim women for maintenance.</p>

<p>It also has a provision for the divorced Muslim women to have the custody of their minor children. The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable.</p>

<p>The draft bill says, &quot;any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal&quot;.</p>

<p>The government is sure to press ahead with the bill in Lok Sabha considering its strong majority even though the oppositions parties voice their apprehensions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The bill will be introduced by law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The government is all set for questions and comments and is ready to discuss the justification for proposing the law.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Also read:<a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/triple-talaq-destroying-lives-of-muslim-women-says-indian-pm-narendra-modi-7849">&nbsp;Triple talaq destroying lives of Muslim women, says Indian PM Narendra Modi</a></p>

<p>The opposition parties have said that the jail term may be excessive and some Muslim organisations like <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/aimplb-says-will-request-pm-to-withhold-withdraw-triple-talaq-bill-27594">All India Muslim Personal Law Board</a> (AIMPLB) have held that the Supreme Court ruling striking down triple talaq as unconstitutional is against Sharia law.&nbsp;</p>

<p>&quot;The AIMPLB urges the Central Government to not table the Bill in the Parliament,&quot; said AIMPLB&#39;s Sajjad Nomani after attending an emergency meeting organised by the Board in Lucknow.</p>

<p>The AIMPLB spokesperson further accused the Centre of not following the laid procedure in drafting the bill.</p>

<p>&quot;No procedure was followed in drafting this bill; neither was any stakeholder consulted,&quot; said Nomani.</p>

<p>AIMPLB even claimed that the Bill was against women and children, and if implemented, it would destroy many families.</p>

<p>Earlier in August, in a historic judgement, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is &quot;void&quot;, &quot;illegal&quot; and &quot;unconstitutional&quot;.&nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from ANI)</em></p>


The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 will be introduced by law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017, which criminalises triple talaq among Muslims, will be presented in the Lok Sabha on Thursday amid several Muslim organisations as well as opposition parties such as Congress, Left and BJD voicing their concerns. Moreover, the BJP is believed to have issued a three-line whip to its MPs asking them to be present to ensure that the introduction is smooth. The BJP is understood to have issued the whip so that any stiff opposition from members on the other side at the introduction stage could be blocked. Opposition parties have voiced reservations over the jail term -- which may extend to three years -- and fine included in the bill × The opposition parties have expressed their reservations over the given jail term for violators of the instant divorce, which may extend to three years and a fine for the accused and further envisages entitling Muslim women for maintenance. It also has a provision for the divorced Muslim women to have the custody of their minor children. The offences under the purview of this bill will be cognisable and non-bailable. The draft bill says, "any pronouncement of talaq by a person upon his wife, by words, either spoken or written or in electronic form or in any other manner whatsoever, shall be void and illegal". The government is sure to press ahead with the bill in Lok Sabha considering its strong majority even though the oppositions parties voice their apprehensions. The bill will be introduced by law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. The government is all set for questions and comments and is ready to discuss the justification for proposing the law. Also read: Triple talaq destroying lives of Muslim women, says Indian PM Narendra Modi The opposition parties have said that the jail term may be excessive and some Muslim organisations like All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) have held that the Supreme Court ruling striking down triple talaq as unconstitutional is against Sharia law. "The AIMPLB urges the Central Government to not table the Bill in the Parliament," said AIMPLB's Sajjad Nomani after attending an emergency meeting organised by the Board in Lucknow. The AIMPLB spokesperson further accused the Centre of not following the laid procedure in drafting the bill. "No procedure was followed in drafting this bill; neither was any stakeholder consulted," said Nomani. AIMPLB even claimed that the Bill was against women and children, and if implemented, it would destroy many families. Earlier in August, in a historic judgement, the Supreme Court had ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional". (With inputs from ANI)

Government to table triple talaq bill in Lok Sabha today, BJP reportedly issues whip to MPs

<p>Judicial governance of India&rsquo;s 1.32 billion population entrusted to the hands of so few is an unprecedented challenge. The Supreme Court as the pater familias of the judicial family has contributed inventively and phenomenally while firmly entrenching the rule of law. The year 2017 was significant for the Supreme Court as it underwent three different changes in regimes. Chief Justice T. S. Thakur who demitted office on 3 January 2017 was succeeded by Chief Justice J. S. Khehar with a small tenure of eight months and then Chief Justice Dipak Mishra took the oath of office on 28th August 2017.&nbsp; The year saw some progressive verdicts, however, there had been some incidents which had cast doubt on the integrity of the judicial institution. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Verdict Restoring Public Trust</strong></p>

<p>In a path-breaking judgment in the case Shayara Bano v. Union of India), the Supreme Court, by a majority of 3:2, set aside the archaic practice of &lsquo;talaq-e-biddat&rsquo; &ndash; triple talaq. The court held that this form of talaq is manifestly arbitrary in the sense that the marital tie can be broken capriciously and whimsically by a Muslim man without any attempt at reconciliation so as to save the marriage.&nbsp;</p>

<p>This form of Talaq must, therefore, be held to be violative of the fundamental right contained in Article 14 of the Constitution of India. What is held to be bad in the Holy Quran cannot be good in Shariat and, in that sense, what is bad in theology is bad in law as well. The dissenting judges, however, regarded triple talaq as an inalienable part of Muslim personal law in India and opined that the practice does not contravene Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Progressive Verdict</strong></p>

<p>A nine-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental right. This historic verdict on the case of Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India held privacy to be the constitutional core of human dignity which safeguards individual autonomy and recognises the ability of the individual to control vital aspects of one&#39;s life. Personal choices that govern our way of life are intrinsic to privacy. Privacy protects heterogeneity and recognises the plurality and diversity of our culture.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Verdicts with Political Ramifications&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>A seven-judge Constitutional Bench on the case of Abhiram Singh v. C. D. Commachen by a 4:3 majority) held that seeking votes in the name of religion, caste or community amounted to corrupt practice and election of a candidate who indulged in it can be set aside. The Bench was interpreting Section 123(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act with reference to a question &ldquo;Will a religious leader&rsquo;s appeal to his followers to vote for a particular political party amount to electoral malpractice&rdquo;. However, the Bench refused to revisit the Hindutva verdict (1995) which held that Hinduism is a way of life and not religion. The dissenting judges however held that such an interference by the court, prohibiting candidates from articulating issues affecting voters reduced democracy to an abstraction. &nbsp;</p>

<p>A verdict with massive political ramifications came when Supreme Court (State (through) CBI v. Shri Kalyan Singh &amp; Others) restored criminal conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders&rsquo; L K Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi and 13 other in Babri Masjid demolition case. The court allowed the appeal filed by the CBI and held that additional charges against Advani, Joshi and others be framed within four weeks.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Invoking its extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Bench also transferred the pending separate trial in a Rae Bareilly Magistrate Court and clubbed it with criminal proceedings in the Lucknow CBI Court. The Bench directed the trial court to hold a day-to-day trial without any adjournment and pronounce judgment within two years.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Contentious Verdict&nbsp;</strong></p>

<p>While convicting V. K. Sasikala, Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran in disproportionate assets case, the Supreme Court tried to reinstate the confidence of people in the judiciary but came under unexpected indictments. It faced severe criticism when the Chief Justice erroneously intervened in a corruption case which involved a retired judge of the Orissa High Court in order to constitute a bench of his choice to hear the case. It turned out to be worst when a lawyer who was arguing the petition was escorted from the court, flanked by security, after verbally grumbling with the Chief Justice. The episode not only diluted the accomplishments of this year but also substantiated the dubious attitude of Supreme Court in dealing with corruption in the higher judiciary. &nbsp;</p>

<p><em>(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).</em></p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The year saw some progressive verdicts, however, there had been some incidents which had cast doubt on the integrity of the judicial institution in India.

Judicial governance of India’s 1.32 billion population entrusted to the hands of so few is an unprecedented challenge. The Supreme Court as the pater familias of the judicial family has contributed inventively and phenomenally while firmly entrenching the rule of law. The year 2017 was significant for the Supreme Court as it underwent three different changes in regimes. Chief Justice T. S. Thakur who demitted office on 3 January 2017 was succeeded by Chief Justice J. S. Khehar with a small tenure of eight months and then Chief Justice Dipak Mishra took the oath of office on 28th August 2017. The year saw some progressive verdicts, however, there had been some incidents which had cast doubt on the integrity of the judicial institution. Verdict Restoring Public Trust In a path-breaking judgment in the case Shayara Bano v. Union of India), the Supreme Court, by a majority of 3:2, set aside the archaic practice of ‘talaq-e-biddat’ – triple talaq. The court held that this form of talaq is manifestly arbitrary in the sense that the marital tie can be broken capriciously and whimsically by a Muslim man without any attempt at reconciliation so as to save the marriage. This form of Talaq must, therefore, be held to be violative of the fundamental right contained in Article 14 of the Constitution of India. What is held to be bad in the Holy Quran cannot be good in Shariat and, in that sense, what is bad in theology is bad in law as well. The dissenting judges, however, regarded triple talaq as an inalienable part of Muslim personal law in India and opined that the practice does not contravene Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution. Progressive Verdict A nine-Judge Bench of the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the right to privacy as a fundamental right. This historic verdict on the case of Justice K.S. Puttaswamy (Retd.) v. Union of India held privacy to be the constitutional core of human dignity which safeguards individual autonomy and recognises the ability of the individual to control vital aspects of one's life. Personal choices that govern our way of life are intrinsic to privacy. Privacy protects heterogeneity and recognises the plurality and diversity of our culture. Verdicts with Political Ramifications A seven-judge Constitutional Bench on the case of Abhiram Singh v. C. D. Commachen by a 4:3 majority) held that seeking votes in the name of religion, caste or community amounted to corrupt practice and election of a candidate who indulged in it can be set aside. The Bench was interpreting Section 123(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act with reference to a question “Will a religious leader’s appeal to his followers to vote for a particular political party amount to electoral malpractice”. However, the Bench refused to revisit the Hindutva verdict (1995) which held that Hinduism is a way of life and not religion. The dissenting judges however held that such an interference by the court, prohibiting candidates from articulating issues affecting voters reduced democracy to an abstraction. A verdict with massive political ramifications came when Supreme Court (State (through) CBI v. Shri Kalyan Singh & Others) restored criminal conspiracy charges against senior BJP leaders’ L K Advani, Uma Bharti, Murli Manohar Joshi and 13 other in Babri Masjid demolition case. The court allowed the appeal filed by the CBI and held that additional charges against Advani, Joshi and others be framed within four weeks. Invoking its extraordinary constitutional powers under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Bench also transferred the pending separate trial in a Rae Bareilly Magistrate Court and clubbed it with criminal proceedings in the Lucknow CBI Court. The Bench directed the trial court to hold a day-to-day trial without any adjournment and pronounce judgment within two years. Contentious Verdict While convicting V. K. Sasikala, Ilavarasi and Sudhakaran in disproportionate assets case, the Supreme Court tried to reinstate the confidence of people in the judiciary but came under unexpected indictments. It faced severe criticism when the Chief Justice erroneously intervened in a corruption case which involved a retired judge of the Orissa High Court in order to constitute a bench of his choice to hear the case. It turned out to be worst when a lawyer who was arguing the petition was escorted from the court, flanked by security, after verbally grumbling with the Chief Justice. The episode not only diluted the accomplishments of this year but also substantiated the dubious attitude of Supreme Court in dealing with corruption in the higher judiciary. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: What are the landmark moments of Indian judiciary in 2017?

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>The women&#39;s rights group spearheading the movement against instant triple talaq called the passage of the bill on it in the Lok Sabha as &quot;historic&quot;, while some others said it was a &quot;sad day&quot; and termed the move &quot;shocking&quot;.</p>

<p>The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote. The bill makes instant triple talaq null and void and makes its pronouncement punishable by up to three years in jail. It will be a non- bailable, cognisable offence.</p>

<p>Bharatiya Muslima Mahila Andolan, which was one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court on the issue of talaq-e- biddat, said that Lok Sabha proceedings today indicate that Muslim women&#39;s voices have been heard across the political spectrum.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> is a historic step towards ensuring dignity for Muslim women. I thank all fellow Parliamentarians who have supported this bill, which will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women: BJP President Amit Shah (File pic) <a href="https://t.co/ZCMxS59nYw">pic.twitter.com/ZCMxS59nYw</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946412004033445888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&quot;What is historic is that the Congress party also supported it. Both the government and the key opposition party are on board. Congress acknowledged the need for a law (on instant triple talaq). It is symbolic of the fact that Muslim women&#39;s voices have now been heard across the political class -- that is a big achievement in itself,&quot; said Zakia Soman, co-founder of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan.</p>

<p>She added that the absence of a law against the practice of instant triple talaq was &quot;a huge lacuna&quot;.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">It is a progressive bill,all parties support it. But they were certain reservations, wanted certain amendments, that is why we insisted it should be should be referred to the Standing Committee but they were in a hurry to pass the bill: M Kharge, Congress on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/2QGw266I5O">pic.twitter.com/2QGw266I5O</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946407488282169349?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&quot;I would say that some of our worst fears have come true. That the intention of the government was not to protect these women but to re-victimize them. This bill is patently discriminatory and unconstitutional and it should be challenged,&quot; the senior lawyer added.</p>

<p>She has also questioned the provisions for a subsistence allowance as well as custody of children in cases of triple talaq, saying these are redundant if the divorce has been invalidated.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Passing the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> in Lok Sabha is an historic step towards gender equality and social progress. Congratulations to PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ji, and all parliamentarians who supported it.</p>
&mdash; Manohar Parrikar (@manoharparrikar) <a href="https://twitter.com/manoharparrikar/status/946423387806515200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Sadhna Arya, representing a women&#39;s collective called Saheli, said, &quot;Earlier there were killings in the name of Love Jihad, now it will take place in the name of triple talaq. It is a sad moment.&quot;<br />
She added that she never expected the bill to be passed in a day in the Lok Sabha.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">SC banned <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaq?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaq</a> because it believed that a couple should get time for reconciliation.With this bill,offence will be now a non-bailable offence,there&#39;ll be no chance of reconciliation.I mvd an amendment over compensation for Muslim women frm govt,it was negated: S Dev, Cong <a href="https://t.co/rTt3qJJusF">pic.twitter.com/rTt3qJJusF</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946393306426044417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>The president of the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), Shaista Amber, welcomed the tabling of the bill but insisted that it should be in the light of Quran.</p>

<p>&quot;We welcome the tabling of the bill and this has given lots of hope to the women as triple talaq is an evil which has been haunting them,&quot; she said.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Its a historic day, we are confident that it will be passed in Rajya Sabha as well: Home Minister Rajnath Singh <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/4Br0yBDpIO">pic.twitter.com/4Br0yBDpIO</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946388584302391296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>Amber, however, added that any law enacted in this regard should be in the light of the Quran and the Constitution to make it acceptable to the community.&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TripleTalaqBill?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TripleTalaqBill</a> bill not give justice to Muslim women but will lead to more injustice: Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM on Triple Talaq bill passed in Lok Sabha <a href="https://t.co/sy4URuWtMq">pic.twitter.com/sy4URuWtMq</a></p>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/946388279682727936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 28, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">&times;</a></div>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>


The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote.

The women's rights group spearheading the movement against instant triple talaq called the passage of the bill on it in the Lok Sabha as "historic", while some others said it was a "sad day" and termed the move "shocking". The Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill by voice vote. The bill makes instant triple talaq null and void and makes its pronouncement punishable by up to three years in jail. It will be a non- bailable, cognisable offence. Bharatiya Muslima Mahila Andolan, which was one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court on the issue of talaq-e- biddat, said that Lok Sabha proceedings today indicate that Muslim women's voices have been heard across the political spectrum. #TripleTalaqBill is a historic step towards ensuring dignity for Muslim women. I thank all fellow Parliamentarians who have supported this bill, which will bring a new era of hope and respect in the lives of Muslim women: BJP President Amit Shah (File pic) pic.twitter.com/ZCMxS59nYw — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × "What is historic is that the Congress party also supported it. Both the government and the key opposition party are on board. Congress acknowledged the need for a law (on instant triple talaq). It is symbolic of the fact that Muslim women's voices have now been heard across the political class -- that is a big achievement in itself," said Zakia Soman, co-founder of the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. She added that the absence of a law against the practice of instant triple talaq was "a huge lacuna". It is a progressive bill,all parties support it. But they were certain reservations, wanted certain amendments, that is why we insisted it should be should be referred to the Standing Committee but they were in a hurry to pass the bill: M Kharge, Congress on #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/2QGw266I5O — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × "I would say that some of our worst fears have come true. That the intention of the government was not to protect these women but to re-victimize them. This bill is patently discriminatory and unconstitutional and it should be challenged," the senior lawyer added. She has also questioned the provisions for a subsistence allowance as well as custody of children in cases of triple talaq, saying these are redundant if the divorce has been invalidated. Passing the #TripleTalaqBill in Lok Sabha is an historic step towards gender equality and social progress. Congratulations to PM @narendramodi ji, and all parliamentarians who supported it. — Manohar Parrikar (@manoharparrikar) December 28, 2017 × Sadhna Arya, representing a women's collective called Saheli, said, "Earlier there were killings in the name of Love Jihad, now it will take place in the name of triple talaq. It is a sad moment." She added that she never expected the bill to be passed in a day in the Lok Sabha. SC banned #TripleTalaq because it believed that a couple should get time for reconciliation.With this bill,offence will be now a non-bailable offence,there'll be no chance of reconciliation.I mvd an amendment over compensation for Muslim women frm govt,it was negated: S Dev, Cong pic.twitter.com/rTt3qJJusF — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × The president of the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board (AIMWPLB), Shaista Amber, welcomed the tabling of the bill but insisted that it should be in the light of Quran. "We welcome the tabling of the bill and this has given lots of hope to the women as triple talaq is an evil which has been haunting them," she said. Its a historic day, we are confident that it will be passed in Rajya Sabha as well: Home Minister Rajnath Singh #TripleTalaqBill pic.twitter.com/4Br0yBDpIO — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 × Amber, however, added that any law enacted in this regard should be in the light of the Quran and the Constitution to make it acceptable to the community. #TripleTalaqBill bill not give justice to Muslim women but will lead to more injustice: Asaduddin Owaisi, AIMIM on Triple Talaq bill passed in Lok Sabha pic.twitter.com/sy4URuWtMq — ANI (@ANI) December 28, 2017 ×

Triple talaq bill gets mixed reactions: Who said what

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/about-100-cases-of-triple-talaq-have-come-to-light-after-sc-verdict-ravi-shankar-prasad-27957">About 100 cases of Triple Talaq have come to light after SC verdict: Ravi Shankar Prasad</a></p>

<p>&#39;&#39;When Islamic countries have regulated provisions of Triple Talaq then why can&#39;t we a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in Shariat,&#39;&#39; Prasad said.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/govt-doesnt-want-air-india-to-go-kingfisher-airlines-way-raju-27960">Government doesn&#39;t want Air India to go Kingfisher Airlines way: Civil aviation minister</a></p>

<p>The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore and is surviving on a Rs 30,000 crore bailout package extended by the erstwhile UPA government in 2012.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-successfully-test-fires-supersonic-interceptor-missile-in-odisha-27954">India successfully test-fires supersonic interceptor missile in Odisha</a></p>

<p>&#39;It was a direct hit and grand success,&#39; Defence sources said after the test launch.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/osama-bin-laden-moved-to-afganistan-to-supervise-plot-to-assassinate-benazir-bhutto-say-reports-27963">Osama Bin Laden moved to Afganistan to supervise plot to assassinate Benazir Bhutto, say reports</a></p>

<p>Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.wionews.com/cricket/selectors-would-have-dropped-me-over-poor-form-says-alastair-cook-27965">Selectors would have dropped me over poor form, says Alastair Cook</a></p>

<p>The former captain managed to score only 83 runs in six innings before making 244 not out.&nbsp;</p>


About 100 cases of Triple Talaq have come to light after SC verdict: Ravi Shankar Prasad ''When Islamic countries have regulated provisions of Triple Talaq then why can't we a secular nation do it? We are not interfering in Shariat,'' Prasad said. Government doesn't want Air India to go Kingfisher Airlines way: Civil aviation minister The airline has a debt of more than Rs 52,000 crore and is surviving on a Rs 30,000 crore bailout package extended by the erstwhile UPA government in 2012. India successfully test-fires supersonic interceptor missile in Odisha 'It was a direct hit and grand success,' Defence sources said after the test launch. Osama Bin Laden moved to Afganistan to supervise plot to assassinate Benazir Bhutto, say reports Bhutto was killed in a gun-and-bomb attack during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007. Selectors would have dropped me over poor form, says Alastair Cook The former captain managed to score only 83 runs in six innings before making 244 not out.

WION evening news brief, December 28, 2017

triple-talaq

Triple Talaq, News on Triple Talaq, stories on Triple Talaq, articles on Triple Talaq, Triple Talaq stories at Wion, Triple Talaq news, Triple Talaq latest news