Hyderabad: In a landmark success, the Modi government secured approval for triple talaq Bill after several ‘opponents’ of the legislation made the job easy by not voting. Their absence brought down the half-way mark in the 242-member Rajya Sabha significantly, easily helping the ruling dispensation. The NDA has 107 members in the Rajya Sabha.
With some adroit floor management, the BJD supported the measure. BJP allies JD(U) and AIADMK walked out of the Rajya Sabha. The Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Telugu Desam, the YSRC, the BSP and the National Congress Party were missing from the House during the voting on the contentious Bill.
In all, nearly 20 Opposition MPs, including five from the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, were not present, sources said.
The TRS had declared that it supported the Bill but is against the clause which criminalises triple talaq.
The success was all the sweeter because the Bill had lapsed the first time around in the previous Lok Sabha.
After the vote was taken, Rajya Sabha chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu announced that the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, has been passed with 99 votes in favour and 84 against.
The Bill bans and criminalises the practice of divorce among Muslims by simply stating ‘talaq’ three times; it is the criminalisation of the practice that has been most contentious.
The Bill awaits clearance from President Ram Nath Kovind before it becomes law. Overall, the PDP, AIADMK, Rashtriya Janata Dal, YSR Congress, Janata Dal (U), SP, BSP, NCP, Aam Aadmi Party, and Congress had opposed the Bill, along with the MIM in the Lok Sabha, while BJP, BJD, Shiv Sena and Sikkim’s SDF spoke in favour of the Bill.
When the House assembled in the morning, around 224 members were present, but when the voting took place only 183 were in the House.
Senior members, including Sharad Pawar, Praful Patel (NCP) BSP members Mayawati and Satish Chander, and members of the SP were absent when the Congress demanded the division of the vote on the Bill.
