NEW DELHI: National Democratic Alliance (NDA) constituent AIADMK on Tuesday termed the Triple Talaq Bill "unconstitutional and illegal" and later staged a walkout in the Rajya Sabha protesting against it.
This happened after members of Janata Dal-United, another BJP ally, opposed the Bill and staged a walkout.
The walkouts from the House would help the government in the passage of the Bill as they would bring down the majority mark, making it easier for the government to push through the bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Participating in the debate in the Upper House of Parliament on the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, AIADMK's A Navaneethakrishnan said the Bill will not stand judicial scrutiny and demanded that it should be referred to the Select Committee.
"Muslim marriages are a civil contract and the offense of flouting a civil contract cannot be made into a criminal offense. The Bill is unconstitutional, illegal and not sustainable under the law," he said.
The AIADMK leader said the practice of triple talaq has already been declared null and void and unconstitutional.
"It is not recognised in Muslim law. It is only an empty phrase now. So merely because a Muslim husband says triple talaq, it cannot affect the society. Pronouncing 'triple talaq' has no effect now," he said and asked the government to refer the Bill to the Select Committee for further scrutiny.
AIADMK members later staged a walkout.
The Bill, that proposes to protect the rights of married Muslim women and to prohibit divorce by pronouncing talaq by their husbands, was introduced by Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.