Angry protests over the attack on Dalits in Maharashtra and heated exchanges between the Opposition and the treasury benches on the demand for referring the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill to a Select Committee stalled the debate on the proposed law in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Seeking a division of votes on the amendments for referring the Bill to a select panel, Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “In a democracy, majority prevails. In a democracy, in this House, if majority does not prevail, then where will it prevail? Let us have division.”
However, BJP members were on their feet opposing the move vociferously. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said he could not have a division of votes when there was no order.
“I said that both amendments are valid, but what can I do?,” he said, before adjourning the House for the day. Among those in the visitors’ galleries were many Muslim women, watching the proceedings.
The House was previously adjourned thrice on the caste violence issue. When business resumed at 3 p.m., Opposition members again sought a debate, at which Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress of deliberately stalling the Bill. Leader of the Opposition rejected the allegation.
Amid slogan-shouting, Mr. Prasad introduced the Bill for discussion and passage. As he was making an introductory remark, the Opposition members created an uproar stating that amendments moved by Congress leader Anand Sharma and TMC’s Sukhendu Sekhar Roy had to be taken up first.
Mr. Prasad accused the Congress of double standards, saying the party had supported the Bill in the Lok Sabha, wondering why it was stalling it now. He said the Bill, which criminalises instant divorce, had to be passed urgently as the unconstitutional practice continued even when the Bill had been cleared by the Lok Sabha.
Mr. Sharma then proposed that the Bill be referred to a select panel of the Rajya Sabha for legislative scrutiny. He also listed names of its proposed members, belonging to Opposition parties, stating that the panel would present its report in the first week of the budget session.
Mr. Sharma said the BJP, and the government, could give its names for the committee.
Leader of the House Arun Jaitley intervened, raising objection to the procedures adopted in moving the amendments.
On the amendment proposed by Mr. Sharma, he said it was under the rule that was meant for only those Bills that originated in the Rajya Sabha.
He said a notice for setting up of a select panel had to be given at least a day in advance and consent taken from the proposed members.
Stating that the proposed panel should have proportionate representation, Mr. Jaitley also sought to make a case for expeditious passage of the Bill, citing a minority judgment by the Supreme Court, which had suspended instant triple talaq for six months and asked the legislators of all parties to come up with a law on the issue.
“The whole country is watching that in the other House you supported the Bill and here you are trying to derail it,” he said, targeting the Congress.
In response, Congress member Kapil Sibal, who had represented the Muslim Personal Law Board in the triple talaq case, pointed out that Mr. Jaitley was referring to the minority judgment where there was no mention of any urgency. “We support this Bill, but we are against criminalisation.”
