The Centre failed yet again to get the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, more commonly known as the triple talaq Bill, passed in the Rajya Sabha.

As there was no consensus on the Bill, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the legislation would not be taken up on Friday, the last day of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Later, intervening in a discussion on a private member’s resolution, Ravi Shankar Prasad said had the Opposition agreed, the Bill could have been passed in the Monsoon Session, and it would have helped Muslim women in the country. The Opposition objected to this statement and urged Deputy Chairman Harivansh to expunge the minister’s remarks.

The Bill criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq and the Opposition has been maintaining that the Bill brings a criminal angle to a legislation on civil matters. The BJP has been alleging that the Congress and other Opposition parties are against Muslim women in distress, and that is why they do not support the legislation. The Opposition had urged the Centre to send the Bill to a select committee.

When the Rajya Sabha reconvened after lunch on Friday, Naidu said he had decided that bills “on which there is some sort of broad consensus” would be taken up for discussion and passage later in the day. He added that the triple talaq Bill would not be taken up as a consensus had not yet been evolved on the issue in the meeting of the floor leaders of various parties.

The Centre had added some official amendments to the Act passed by Lok Sabha by including adding a bail provision to it.If cleared by the Rajya Sabha, they Bill will go back to the Lok Sabha with the amendments. In the morning, the Opposition raised the issue of Rafale scam and insisted that the Centre should hold a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter. The Upper House witnessed disruptions due to protests from Opposition benches.

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