'Triple Talaq Bill' approved by India’s lower house

NEW DELHI: The lower house of India's parliament on Thursday approved 'Triple Talaq Bill'  to implement the Supreme Court's ruling that found the Muslim practice of instant divorce was unconstitutional.The Triple Talaq Bill reportedly seeks to 'criminalise' the practice of instant divorce among Muslims and provides for a three-year jail term for those follow the practice.The Congress and other main opposition parties walked out of the house in opposition to a three-year jail term for a husband who divorced in such a way, arguing that no other religion has such punishment for desertion. The bill also had no clarity on spousal support if men were jailed for an instant divorce, the opposition leaders said.Mallikarjun Kharge, a Congress party leader, demanded that a parliamentary committee consider these provisions of the bill to reach a consensus on the issue.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government doesn't have a majority in the upper house and will need some opposition support to make the bill a law.Last year, the India's Supreme Court ruled that allowing Muslim men to divorce by “triple talaq” violated the constitutional rights of Muslim women.Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad was reported to have said  that nearly 22 countries have banned the practice and appealed to the opposition to approve the bill.

from The News International - World http://bit.ly/2ThmgWh