Congress says will support triple talaq bill if alimony provision added

Congress women’s wing chief Sushmita Dev has said that her party would support the Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament if the Centre considers the provision of renumeration to the victim.

Dev said that the Opposition party was never against the triple talaq bill but the current form of provision was not favourable to Muslim women. A provision of alimony must be there for the victim.

"We were never against the instant triple talaq bill. But the bill, in its present form, would be harmful to the interests of the Muslim women. It should have a provision of alimony for the victim," news agency PTI quoted Dev as saying.

The All India Mahila Congress president had submitted an amendment to the bill in Lok Sabha but it could not be passed.

"I tabled an amendment in the Lok Sabha for the provision of alimony in the bill, but it did not get passed. If the amendment is accepted, then we would definitely support the bill," she said.

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The Congress leader alleged that the BJP-led NDA government was trying to strike a quid pro quo with the passing of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill and the Women's Reservation Bill.

Pointing at Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad’s letter to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, asking him to support Triple Talaq Bill along with the Women’s Reservation Bill, Dev said that Modi-led government was indulging in trade on the issue.

"The government is indulging in dealings. Did they say in their manifesto that the they would pass both the bills together? We didn't have the majority. But they have clear majority. If the Congress and BJP both support the women's reservation bill, then it can be passed," she added. 

Recently, Congress president Rahul Gandhi had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to ensure the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill in the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

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Dev said the aim of the bill was to ensure justice for the Muslim women and end the practice of instant divorce. "But what will happen to the livelihood of the women if their husbands go to jail?" she asked, adding that this aspect should be kept in mind.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, was passed in the Lok Sabha, but is pending in the Rajya Sabha.