Triple Talaq: Govt and women's law board hail Allahabad HC verdict, AIMPLB dismissive

New Delhi: The government and the All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board on Thursday hailed the observations of the Allahabad High Court on triple talaq as a welcome step, but the All India Muslim Personal Law Board was dismissive, saying the Supreme Court will deliver the final verdict.

Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray cautioned that the issue of triple talaq should not go the way of Shah Bano case due to vote bank politics.

Welcoming the judgement, Information and Broadcasting Minister M Venkaiah Naidu said women should get justice and everyone agrees to it.

Shaista Ambar, chairperson of All India Muslim Women Personal Law Board, who had earlier expressed reservations over a uniform civil code, on Thursday said the practice of triple talaq was “unjustified”.

“It is an atrocity…no law of Allah tolerates atrocity,” she said.

Ambar hoped that Muslim women will get justice based on the Constitution as well as Islamic laws.

Minister of State for Women and Child Development Krishna Raj said, “Nobody understood the agony of women. Today, the High Court has taken a welcome step. It will help boost the morale of women.”

But the AIMPLB seemed dismissive of the high court’s observations. Its member Kamal Farooqui said the matter of triple talaq is already before the Supreme Court. “So that will be the judgement.”

He said the issue of triple talaq is not restricted to Muslims alone. “It is the question of all those religious entities who have been given guarantee under the Constitution to follow their own faith and religion,” he said.

Thackeray said the observations should be respected. “It has a lot of importance for the country. Due to vote bank politics, the issue (of triple talaq) should not go the Shah Bano case way,” he cautioned.

The court has observed that “divorce is permissible in Islam only in case of extreme emergency. When all efforts for effecting a reconciliation have failed, the parties may proceed to a dissolution of marriage by Talaq or by Khola”.

It has held that triple talaq is “cruel” and raised a question whether the Muslim Personal law could be amended to alleviate the sufferings of Muslim women.

Union minister Naidu said that the Constitution was “supreme” and justice should be done with the women of the country without discrimination.

“This is a settled fact. Constitution is supreme. Religion is a belief. Law which has been made under the Constitution, everybody should abide by it. I am feeling elated by the observation of the high court. I am satisfied because justice should happen with the women of the country. And there should be no discrimination,” he said.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju maintained that it was a “welcome observation”.

JD(U) spokesperson KC Tyagi, while welcoming the high court observation, cautioned the government against bringing in the uniform civil code in the light of it.

“We respect the observation of the court. No religious binding is above the Constitution. But our Constitution does allow us to perform our religious rituals according to our own religion. We respect it and we want to warn the government, in the light of triple talaq, they must not impose uniform civil code on the minority community,” Tyagi said.

BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj said that India is the largest democracy and discrimination between women and men is injustice.

“I want to express my gratitude to the HC that it has given such an observation. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also said that time has come to put an end to triple talaq. I think under no circumstance, saying talaq, talaq, talaq and getting talaq is acceptable,” he said.

Asked if this would become a political issue, he said that his party does not want to make it a political issue as its motto is ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’.

“But I am thankful to those Muslim women who have stood up for their own rights and have gone to courts and are demonstrating. We should all support them,” he said.

BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi said that it was a “fantastic” observation and noted that the fight is being fought by somewomen from the Muslim community who are against triple talaq.

“The fight is within the community by the women who are affected by such derogatory practices. All those people who are doing politics in the name of religion and are denying the human rights to the women of their own community, let me reiterate that this is the law which was enunciated by the court before Shah Bano, after Shah Bano and now,” she said.

“I really wish that wisdom prevails, as all these people who are running their shops in the name of religion should shut their shops because it is for the betterment of their community, their sisters and mothers,” she said.