Ravi Shankar Prasad crossing limits by pressurising Muslim community: Kamal Faruqui on triple talaq

Accusing Union Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad of politicising the 'triple talaq' practice, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Wednesday said the former has crossed his limits for trying to pressurize the judiciary as well as threatening the Muslim community.

"I am sorry to say that Law Minister have crossed his limits by almost trying to pressurise the judiciary as well as threatening the Muslim community which is highly objectionable and I hope he will resist from making such remarks in future," AIMPLB member Kamal Faruqui told ANI over Shankar's remark that the Centre is likely to take "a major step" to ban triple talaq after the ongoing Assembly polls.

"The very concept of divorce is a very unpleasant thing which is not appreciated in our domain . we ask people for reconciliation," he added.

Responding to the Supreme Court terming 'triple talaq' as an issue of human rights, and that it will not hear the petitions related to Uniform Civil Code along with it as it was a different matter altogether, the Muslim Law Board member said the matter is subjuidice and that the apex court will take cognizance.

"Unfortunately in our country some of the people have tried to politicize triple talaq which is very unfortunate. The matter is subjuidice and let us hope that Supreme Court will take cognizance of all this. We will be putting or point of view as through the legal compulsions and Sharias and related matters before the SC. We will also say as to why this divorce is allowed," he added.

Asserting that triple talaq is an easy route to end a bitter marriage, Faruqui said that Islam is a religion, which has bestowed the women with many rights.

Earlier, calling on the Samajwadi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Congress to clarify their position on the triple talaq matter, Prasad said, "I want Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi and Mayawati to clarify their stand on the issue. The issue is not related to religion but involves respect and dignity of women."

The Supreme Court will only examine triple talaq from a legal perspective and steer clear of aspects in the legislative domain, such as bringing in a uniform civil code, under which divorce under Muslim law will have to be supervised by courts.

The bench has asked the lawyers from both sides - the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and others opposing triple talaq - to propose the issues the court could examine. The top court would finalise the points that it would focus on later this week.

The bench is hearing a batch of petitions opposing triple talaq, after women complained that they had been divorced via Facebook and WhatsApp. The personal law board contends that Muslim practices such as polygamy and triple talaq were matters of "legislative policy" that could not be interfered with by the judiciary.