This brazen opposition of the triple talaq bill, particularly from a Congress woman at a minority forum right in the presence of none less than party president Rahul Gandhi, has already given enough ammunition to the BJP to cry 'appeasement'.
Congress' stance lies exposed, ironically by one of its own, in presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, as far as its take on triple talaq bill is concerned. It came as a shock to many when close Rahul Gandhi aide and MP Sushmita Dev announced this: "As soon as we come to power in 2019 (general election), we will scrap the triple talaq bill."
Ironically, Dev is also the Mahila Congress president. Dev was speaking at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) minorities convention, right in the presence of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, who failed to note the express objection to her comment. Speaking at a minority convention against the wishes of the community could prove to be a costly comment for the Congress who rely on minority votes.
She said, "Recently, you must have observed that the triple talaq bill is being brought and Narendra Modi is using the bill to create a situation that can cause friction between Muslim men and women." The bill is being brought in with an intention to put Muslim men behind bars, she added.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill was passed by the BJP-led NDA government in the Lok Sabha, thanks to the numbers of the ruling BJP in the winter session of the Parliament on December 27 last year. But, it faced bottlenecks in the Rajya Sabha with the opposition demanding that the bill, which is close to PM Narendra Modi's heart, be sent to a select committee.
The Modi government re-promulgated the ordinance this January, blocking the primitive practice of instant triple talaq. Now, after the ordinance, it attracts a three years jail term for Muslim men resorting to issuing instant triple talaq. To give it more teeth, the government ensured that the ordinance makes it a 'non-bailable' offence.
This brazen opposition of the bill, particularly from a Congress woman at a minority forum right in the presence of none less than party president Rahul Gandhi, has already given enough ammunition to the BJP to cry 'appeasement'. Sambit Patra hit back saying, “Rahul Gandhi says that if Congress comes to power, it will scrap triple talaq law. It is nothing but appeasement politics."
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