Triple talaq: Centre likely to introduce legislation in winter session

The Centre is likely to introduce a legislation in the upcoming winter session of Parliament to end the practice of instant triple talaq. “We are likely to bring a legislation to provide shield and shelter to the victims suffering at the hands of their devious husbands,” confided a Union Minister briefed about the issue at the highest levels of the government.

Sources said a ministerial committee has been constituted to draft the legislation. This comes more than two months after the Supreme Court struck down the controversial practice of Talaq-e-biddat.

The dates for the Winter Session of the Parliament, however, are yet to be announced. The Congress, meanwhile, has accused the Narendra Modi-led government of running away from a debate on critical issues such as unemployment and corruption.

On Monday, Congress president Sonia Gandhi accused the government of “sabotaging the winter session of Parliament on flimsy grounds”. Speaking at the Congress Working Committee meeting, Sonia claimed the government is looking to avoid “questions about corruption in high places, conflict of interest of serving ministers and dubious defence deals”. She accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of lacking the courage to face Parliament after launching an “ill-prepared and flawed” GST.

Refuting Sonia’s charge, Union Minister Arun Jaitely said Parliament sessions were often rescheduled to ensure they did not overlap with elections, and that the Congress had itself postponed sessions several times in the past. “It has been a tradition and it has happened several times that Parliament sessions are rescheduled when an election is happening,” he told reporters in Rajkot.