HYDERABAD: Hours after the Centre brought in an ordinance stating triple talaq as an offence, Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi decried the decision calling it a gross violation of fundamental rights, and called for it to be challenged.
Speaking to media persons at the party headquarters, Owaisi said, "The ordinance is against Right to Equality and Article 15 because it is only being made for Muslims. If any Muslim is penalised in this law he will be getting 3 years of jail. However, if a non-Muslim is penalised he will be getting one year."
Calling the ordinance unconstitutional, Owaisi who is also a member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said, "This is a backdoor technique to approve the ordinance. The Modi Sarkar did not consult a single Muslim body before coming to this decision. Why didn't you refer it to a select committee or a Parliamentary Standing Committee?"
Owaisi contends that ordinance would be more detrimental to Muslim women than favourable. He said, "Even if a man is penalised and sent to jail, he would still be married. The Supreme Court had pointed out the same. So what's the justification of punishing someone when the marriage would still be intact?"
He also said, "Take for instance that if a case was registered under this ordinance. Who will speak up for the woman? The burden of proof falls entirely on her." For example, the man could easily go to the police and say that he said talaq twice and not thrice, he added.
He further slammed the nitty gritty of the ordinance which rules the penalised person to provide financial assistance to the woman. "How can anyone provide financial assistance despite being in jail? The law also calls for three years of jail for a Muslim man, when the maximum penalty for driving recklessly and killing someone is two years."
He termed the Ordinance as a way of distracting the public from core issues such as rising petrol prices, the Kashmir issue, Rafale deal. "The BJP's ship is sinking in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. They will speak on the NRC next. These are all diversionary tactics."