India rejoices, medieval practice confined to dustbin of history: PM Modi tweets on Triple Talaq Bill

Hours after Parliament approved the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday hailed the move, saying an archaic and medieval practice has finally been confined to the dustbin of history. Once granted assent by President Ram Nath Kovind, the Bill would make the practice of instant triple talaq among men a criminal offence with jail term of up to three years.

"An archaic and medieval practice has finally been confined to the dustbin of history! Parliament abolishes Triple Talaq and corrects a historical wrong done to Muslim women. This is a victory of gender justice and will further equality in society," Modi wrote on Twitter.

An archaic and medieval practice has finally been confined to the dustbin of history!

Parliament abolishes Triple Talaq and corrects a historical wrong done to Muslim women. This is a victory of gender justice and will further equality in society.

India rejoices today!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 30, 2019

Thanking parties and MPs of both the Houses for supporting the passage of the Bill, the prime minister said they have risen to the occasion and this step of their's will forever be remembered in India's history.

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"This is an occasion to salute the remarkable courage of those Muslim women who have suffered great wrongs just due to the practice of Triple Talaq. The abolition of Triple Talaq will contribute to women empowerment and give women the dignity they deserve in our society," Modi wrote in a series of tweets.

The prime minister said, getting the Triple Talaq Bill passed in Parliament is a big step towards women empowerment. "Millions of mothers and sisters in the country had been deprived of their right in the name of appeasement. I am proud of the fact that our government has got the privilege of giving Muslim women their right," he stated.

तीन तलाक बिल का पास होना महिला सशक्तिकरण की दिशा में एक बहुत बड़ा कदम है। तुष्टिकरण के नाम पर देश की करोड़ों माताओं-बहनों को उनके अधिकार से वंचित रखने का पाप किया गया। मुझे इस बात का गर्व है कि मुस्लिम महिलाओं को उनका हक देने का गौरव हमारी सरकार को प्राप्त हुआ है।

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 30, 2019

The Rajya Sabha passed the Triple Talaq Bill by 99 votes in favour and 84 against it, following a four-and-half-hour long debate in the House throughout the day. It earlier rejected an opposition sponsored motion to send the bill to a Rajya Sabha Select Committee with 100 votes against it as compared to 84 in favour.

While BJD supported the legislation, JDU and AIADMK walked out, lowering the majority mark which normally stands at 121. The ruling NDA has 107 members in the 242-member Rajya Sabha.

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The NDA was also helped by the absence of some members of SP and BSP as well as those of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and YSR-Congress. The Triple Talaq bill could not make it through the Upper House earlier this year during the first term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, although it was passed by Lok Sabha.

The Bill was again passed by the Lok Sabha last week amid a walkout by several opposition parties including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress. The opposition parties say in its current form, the proposed law could be misused to harass Muslims and wanted it to be reviewed by a parliamentary committee.