UP minister, AIMPLB member lock horns over triple talaq issue

Uttar Pradesh minister Mohsin Raza on Tuesday dubbed All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) as 'All India Maulawi (Cleric) Personal Law Board' and said the organization which does not work for the welfare of society, but endorses practice like triple talaq should be banned.

"AIMPLB should not be called as Muslim Personal Law Board but a Maulawi (Cleric) Personal Law Board. Such organization should be banned as it does not work for the welfare of society but endorses practice like triple talaq that is harassment to women. Triple talaq is somewhere against the Constitution as it does not come within the prevalence of it. Any organization should work according to the Constitution of India," Raza told ANI.

Backing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's stand on triple talaq, Raza further said that a new law should be implemented putting an end to triple talaq practice.

Meanwhile, reacting to Raza's assertion, member of AIMPLB Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali said the political leaders are making political issue out of the triple talaq, adding Muslim Personal Law Board is a registered organization.

"From the very first day nothing Islamic or nothing religious is being said or done as far as the issue of triple talaq is concerned. It has been completely made a political issue. Anyone can see that from the time of the election campaigning for the UP election till now.We think it will continue till 2019. Muslim Personal Law Board is a registered organization under the Society Act," Mahali told ANI.

Adityanath yesterday attacked those not speaking out against the triple talaq issue, saying they were equally guilty as the ones practicing it.

"People maintaining silence are equally guilty," Adityanath said while addressing a launch of book on former prime minister Chandra Shekhar Singh.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi said that justice should be given to Muslim women by eradicating the practice of triple talaq in the country.

"Our Muslim sisters deserve justice. We should try to solve this issue at the district level. We should also proceed on the formula of a new India. We can't simply move forward on a slow pace, but charge ahead with full speed," he said during the BJP National Executive Meeting here.

A five-judge constitution bench of the apex court will start hearing from May 11 the petitions against triple talaq.

The court will hear pleas filed by several Muslim women challenging the practice under which men can divorce their wives instantly by uttering the word 'talaq' thrice.