Ravi Shankar Prasad said over 100 cases were reported after the Supreme Court judgment in August 2017
When transformational laws are brought for the welfare of the people, the orthodox segments oppose them but the opposition eventually fails, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said today, referring to those opposing the draft law on abolishing the controversial practice of instant triple
talaq.
He added that history was full of examples where the opposition to such laws had failed. In a series of tweets, Mr Prasad said many Muslim women had met him and requested for a stringent penal provision against the practice of "
talaq-e-biddat" or instant triple
talaq.
"Many major Islamic countries have done away with this practice. Why should a secular country like India not abolish it?" he asked.
Mr Prasad said when "transformational laws like triple
talaq bill" were brought for the welfare of the people, "the orthodox segments oppose that but their opposition fails".
He added that over 300 cases of instant triple
talaq were reported in 2017, of which more than 100 were reported after the Supreme Court judgment in August, declaring the practice unconstitutional.
"Triple
talaq was taking place even after the Supreme Court had called it unconstitutional. To safeguard the women victimised by (instant) triple
talaq, it was important to make a law that provides penal action against those who practised it," Mr Prasad said.
While the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was passed by the Lok Sabha in the just-concluded winter session, it could not be passed in the Rajya Sabha amidst demands by a united opposition to refer it to the Select Committee for a detailed scrutiny.