Triple Talaq Bill: Here are some highlights of AIMPLB letter to PM Modi

As the bill seeking to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims is set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Thursday, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), on Sunday, urged the Centre to withdraw the bill.

According to AIMPLB, the consequences of the proposed Bill are against the interest of the Muslim Women at large and may cause harm to the divorced women and their family. The bill is against the provisions of the Constitution and violates the rights of women.

Following are some points highlighted by the AIMPLB in the letter

• The bill is against the Principles of Shariah, and interference in the Muslim Personal Law.
• The terms mentioned in the bill encroach upon the guarantees set out in the Constitution of India for the religious denominations.
• The provision of the custody of minor children to all such divorced women does not at all take into account the primary concept of welfare of the child, and in this respect the case of Shayara Bano was also not kept in the mind
• The law relating to Adultery was not taken into consideration
• While drafting the bill, Parliamentary procedure of law making was not followed
• Nether the stake holders/affected party/women organisations have been consulted to enable them in placing the actual position before the law makers and the adverse consequences of the proposed law and welfare of the women and children pursuant to “non effective” talaq.

“ Seeing the provisions of the bill, it seems that the government wants to snatch the right of divorce from men. This is a big conspiracy. The draft of the bill also states that triple talaq (talaq-e-biddat) and other forms of talaq will be banned,” said Sajjad Nomani, the spokesperson of the AIMPLB.

Senior woman members of the Board, Asma Zehra said, “The proposed bill of the Centre is against the interest of Muslim women. If a husband gives triple talaq to his wife, and is jailed for three years, then how will the woman make her ends meet and look after her children?”

The bill, prepared by an inter-ministerial group headed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, makes instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat in any form -- spoken, in writing or by electronic means such as email, SMS and WhatsApp -- "illegal and void" and provides for a jail term of three years to the husband.