Hyderabad: Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said that the practice of instant triple talaq was prevalent more in Hyderabad and Uttar Pradesh, even after the Bill making it illegal was passed in the Lok Sabha last year. Mr Prasad accused UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, BSP president Mayawati and Trinamul Congress president and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of stalling the Bill in the Rajya Sabha despite “being women”, due to which the NDA government could not bring the Act and enforce measures against instant triple talaq.
Addressing a press conference here, Mr Prasad mocked at the efforts by a few parties to build a “united Opposition” against the BJP for 2019, saying, “The India of 2018 is not the India of 1990s of Deve Gowdas, Gujrals.” He said the people would not support “opportunist coalitions” because they want a strong party and leader like the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lead the country.
The shift of politics from anti-Congress to anti-BJP and anti-Modi proved the strength and popularity of the BJP and Mr Modi, he contended. “On triple talaq, Opposition parties are raising a strange and ridiculous argument. They say who will feed their family if the man who indulged in triple talaq is sent to jail. I want to ask whether Muslims are not going to jail for committing other crimes? Why are some leaders trying to block the triple talaq Act on such flimsy grounds?” Mr Prasad said. He reiterated that triple talaq Act was not an issue of religion or faith of a person but was about gender justice, dignity and equality.
