Triple talaq is not an election issue, says Ravishankar Prasad

Meerut: Union minister for law and justice, Ravishankar Prasad, has clarified that the Center had not proposed a ban on triple talaq. It has only given its opinion on the issue in response to a query by the Supreme Court on a petition filed in the court by a Muslim woman .

The apex court has also sought opinions of other individuals and groups on the subject including All India Muslim Personal Law Board. Addressing a meeting here on Tuesday he said it is wrong to say that the government at the Center had taken a lead in this regard.

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He further clarified that the present government was in favour of a ban because it was backed by a larger number of Muslim and non-orthodox bodies. The reason behind is that the triple talaq is gender biased and goes against the interest of Muslim in general. The principle of equality does not apply in this case.

“ The question here is not that a religion but dignity and honour of women. A bad precedent cannot be called a matter of faith”, he said. The government’s view has been given in an affidavit to the court filed by the law ministry.

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Prasad said it is not an election issue. The issue involved is the harassment being faced by Muslim women due to this practice. India is secular country where each religion and its good practices are respected. But even some Muslim countries have banned triple talaq or modified it.

He also dwelt upon some other burning issues including grand alliance proposed by the SP and one rank one pension. The pension issue was pending since late Indira Gandhi’s days and it is only the present government which could take it up seriously and took a decision. But the opposition instead of appreciating is trying to find one fault or the other.

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