One year of Triple Talaq abolition law: BJP leaders call it ‘a historic step’

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is celebrating the first anniversary of the passage of the Triple Talaq bill in Parliament. Ministry of Minority Affairs is commemorating the occasion as the Muslim women’s rights day. On August 1, 2019, the act of pronouncing instant Triple Talaq in Islam had become an illegal practice in India.

Marking the occasion, Union Minister and senior party leader Prakash Javadekar tweeted, “ One year ago on 30th July 2019, Narendra Modi government abolished Triple Talaq. It has contributed to women empowerment and gave them the dignity they deserve in our society.” He also observed that Triple Talaq cases have dropped by 82% since the law was enacted.

Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that Triple Talaq was given political patronage by merchants of vote bank. He was addressing the Muslim women from across the country via a video link at an event marking the first anniversary of the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019.

“The Modi government is committed to political empowerment and not political exploitation”, he said.

Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani also tweeted hailing the act.

Ravi Shankar Prasad called it a golden day in the Indian democracy. “Today on 31st July 2020 we will celebrate it as MuslimWomenRightsDay. This day will always be remembered as a golden day in the Indian democracy for giving gender justice, dignity, and equality to Muslim women by ending the evil practice of Triple Talaq,” he wrote on Twitter.

Smriti Irani said that the day is a true celebration of Women empowerment. “A year to the historic day when India banned the evil practice of Triple Talaq. Muslim Women Rights Day is a celebration of true women empowerment; I reiterate my grateful thanks to PM for ensuring gender justice for Muslim women of our Nation,” she wrote.

The Triple Talaq law had made the practice of instant divorce among Muslims, a criminal offence. It provides a jail term of three years for a Muslim man who commits the crime.