Fearing violition of rights, Kharge demands Triple Talaq bill be sent to Joint Select Committee

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday demanded the Triple Talaq bill to be sent to the Joint Select Committee, saying that the bill is against the Constitution and the fundamental rights.

"The bill which has been presented is against the Constitution. It is against fundamental rights. We have asked for the bill to be sent to Joint Select Committee to get justice for Muslim women. They (BJP) wanted to pass it as the Lok Sabha polls are approaching," Kharge told ANI.

A number of opposition parties, including the Congress, AIADMK and TMC, staged a walk out of the House just before the bill was put to vote as their demand for sending it to a Joint Select Committee was not accepted.

The legislation, which makes the practice a criminal offence with a provision of a three-year jail term for the erring husband, replaces an Ordinance issued by the government in September.

It was passed by the Lower House of Parliament after the government asserted that it should not be seen from the prism of politics as 20 Islamic countries have already banned the practice and not secular India.