The triple talaq bill and a bill to give the Other Backward Classes Commission constitutional status will be among the government’s priorities during the Budget Session of Parliament that begins on Monday, PTI reported.
At a pre-session meeting in New Delhi on Sunday – attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley and Ananth Kumar, and leaders of the Opposition and other parties – the government said it would push to pass the triple talaq bill and asked leaders to cooperate.
“We hope the triple talaq bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha too,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said after the meeting, Deccan Chronicle reported. “My colleagues and I will leave no stone unturned in talking to and convincing the political parties.”
Calling the all-party meeting “fruitful”, Kumar said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged political leaders at the meeting to ensure success of the budget session.” Kumar said the “government will do everything to ensure passage of the triple talaq bill in the session”.
The Opposition was represented by Congress’ Mallikarjun Kharge, Samajwadi Party’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, Communist Party of India’s (Marxist) D Raja, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader Kanimozhi, Derek O’Brien and Sudip Bandhopadhyay from the Trinamool Congress, and Tariq Anwar from the Nationalist Congress Party.
The Opposition leaders said they will question the government on issues such as rising cases of rapes, an alleged “attack” on constitutional institutions and the plight of traders, the PTI report said.
Triple talaq bill not passed by Rajya Sabha
The triple talaq bill was passed by the Lok Sabha, where the BJP holds a majority, on December 28, 2017. But the ruling party failed to convince the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in minority, to change its stand to have the bill forwarded to a parliamentary committee for further scrutiny.
Opposition parties led by the Congress had raised concerns over the jail term the bill proposes, and asked who would provide for the family if the husband was in prison. They want the legislation to include provisions for financial aid to Muslim women and suggested government aid also.
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