'Bring Law for All Communities, Not Just Muslims': Congress Demands Triple Talaq Bill be Sent to Standing Committee

New Delhi: The Congress on Thursday demanded the triple talaq bill be sent to the Standing Committee for review, saying it targets Muslim community of the country.

Participating in the discussion on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) bill in the Lok Sabha, Mohammad Jawed (INC) said the intent of the government is not clean and it wants to sideline the Muslim community of this country.

"I request the minister to send the bill to the Standing Committee for review and think of laws for separated women of all communities and not only Muslims," he said.

He said that more number of Hindu women are being divorced as compared to Muslim women. Jawed alleged this law is being formulated to jail Muslim men.

Citing certain lynching incidents, he said that the current environment of the country is not good. Jawed said the bill violates Article 14 of the constitution as it discriminates between Muslim and other women.

"Additional law is not required to protect Muslim women. If a husband would go to jail, then who will take care of his children and who will give maintenance to his wife," he said. The intention of the government through this bill is to ruin the Muslim community, he said.

He added that 2.5 lakh women are separated and out of this "2 lakh are Hindu sisters. Bring justice for them". If the government is really worried about Muslim women, then "think about giving them jobs, and reservation in Parliament and legislative assemblies".

He also said that out of 303 BJP members, not even one is a Muslim and there is no Muslim minister. This reflects the true intention of the government, he added.

Citing some recent cases of lynching, he said the government should give justice to them, but "they do not want that".

He said that although the prime minister expressed concern, nothing has happened in that direction and in fact, four more people were killed.

The prime minister did not take any action and one of his ministers had garlanded the accused of lynching, he said.

"Today's environment is against Muslims...the government is weakening the RTI law," he added.

Meenakashi Lekhi (BJP) said that this law is not the agenda of the BJP, but it is the agenda of the nation. She said that the opposition parties are not able to digest the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, being a Hindu, is thinking for Muslims.

She said it is a completely wrong view that some members are saying that the Muslim religion is in danger because of this law.

Certain people think that "why Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constructing 10 crore toilets, why he is giving 12 crore gas cylinders to women. How can he (prime minister) be a brother of Muslim women. This is there (opposition parties) thinking," she said.

Lekhi said there were sharia courts running in Uttar Pradesh when Akhilesh Yadav (SP) was the chief minister. This remark witnessed an argument between Yadav, currently a member of the Lok Sabha, and the BJP member.

Intervening, Union Minister Anurag Thakur said that if a woman MP is speaking, a male member should not interfere as it would not send a good message.

Lekhi said this government is showing political courage by bringing this bill and that the earlier government did appeasement to gain votes, and "we are working for all".

She said, "22 Muslim countries have given up this practice" of triple talaq.

"Why a section should be neglected and left to a community," she said adding somebody has to show political courage and this government has shown that. She added that members should think about justice for women.

"Women are the biggest minorities in the country and let us give them gender justice," she said.

"Why should we not make a law. It is our duty," she said adding Muslim community is not in danger. She said that if some want to follow the practice of sati, it should be stopped. She said that some people are misleading the country.

Opposing the bill, PK Kunhalikutty (IUML) said it is discriminatory in nature. "If it is for Muslim women, why you did not hold consultations with at least one Muslim organisation," he said adding "why it is not convincing at all".

He said that according to the last census, the percentage of Muslim divorce is very minimal - 0.56 per cent, whereas in other community, the percentage is high.

"It is your political agenda and nothing else. Why are you in a hurry," he added.