The Janata Dal (United) has reservations over the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2018, also known as the triple talaq Bill.
According to top sources in the party, the JD(U) has issues with the criminalisation clause in the Bill which has a provision of three years imprisonment in case of triple talaq. Sources also said the party wanted stakeholders from the Muslim community to be consulted over the Bill.
This is a setback for the government as the JD(U) as an NDA ally is not fully backing the Bill, especially in the Rajya Sabha, where the numbers situation is precarious.
“Senior leaders of the party were not in Delhi today so we cannot say if the JD(U) will entirely go with the opposition demand for referring it to a Joint Select Committee but we have serious reservations on the Bill,” said a senior MP from the JD(U), a departure from the last time the government passed the triple talaq Bill. At that time the JD(U) had voted with the treasury benches.
Party sources maintain that there is nothing new in their differences with the BJP on certain issues. “We have already expressed our differences with the BJP over the Ram Mandir issue as well as others,” said the source.
The Rajya Sabha was adjourned till Wednesday and the battle over the Bill is expected to begin again then.
