Triple Talaq Bill won't be passed in Monsoon session over lack of consensus

The contentious Triple Talaq Bill, which criminalises the practice of instant "talaq", could not be taken up for discussion and passage on the last day of the Monsoon session on Friday, owing to a lack of consensus among political parties on the issue.  

The Congress-led Opposition has been demanding that the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill 2017 be sent to a Select Committee for further scrutiny.

The BJP-led government, which does not have a majority in the Upper House, had also made efforts to get the Bill cleared in the Budget Session.

On Friday, when the Rajya Sabha reconvened at 2:30 pm after two adjournments in the pre-lunch session, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he has decided that the Bills "on which there is some sort of broad consensus" will be taken up for discussion and passage later in the day. 

Triple Talaq row: Shoe hurled at Owaisi during Mumbai rally, case filed

A man on Tuesday night hurled a shoe at AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi while he was addressing a rally at Nagpada in south Mumbai, police said.
The MP was not hurt in the incident and the accused has been identified but was yet to be taken under arrest, they said.
Owaisi was voicing his opposition on the triple talaq issue at the rally around 9.45 pm when the incident took place, a senior police officer said.
"I am willing to lay down my life for my democratic rights. These are all frustrated people, who cannot see that the government decision on triple talaq has not been accepted by the masses in general and Muslims in particular," Owaisi told PTI.
"These people (referring to the person who threw the shoe at him) are the ones who follow the ideology of the killers of Mahatma Gandhi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar," he said.
Owaisi claimed that such incidents were happening at the behest of people, who follow "hate ideologies" and that they are getting emboldened with each passing day.
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Cong to take on Modi over charges against Manmohan as Winter Session begins

The government is ready to discuss all the issues, including those to be raised by the Opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar said here on Thursday, adding that he would request all the MPs to work "full time" to dispose of the business. 

"The government is ready to discuss and debate any issue. Several issues would be raised by the opposition and the government would obviously give its response," he said when asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi's allegations against his predecessor Manmohan Singh and others vis-a-vis their meeting with Pakistani diplomats would disrupt the Houses.

"It is also the opposition's responsibility to run Parliament. The Prime Minister has sought opposition's cooperation for smooth functioning of Parliament," he said.

Ananth Kumar said 25 Bills are listed in the Lok Sabha and 39 Bills are pending in the Rajya Sabha which would be taken up and disposed of "according to priority".

The most important business would be the Supplementary Demands for Grants, which is the first one after the implementation of GST; the 123rd Constitutional Amendment for setting up of National Commission for Backward Classes as a constitutional body; and the Bill against triple talaaq, he said.
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SC refuses to entertain fresh plea against triple talaq and polygamy

The Supreme Court has refused to entertain a fresh plea challenging the constitutional validity of 'triple talaq', 'nikah halala' and polygamy practices among Muslims, saying the issue is already pending consideration.

The court, however, said the verdict rendered in pending petition will govern the outcome of the present plea as well.

"We are of the view that the issues agitated in the instant petition are already pending consideration before this court.

"It is, therefore, not necessary for us to entertain another writ petition on the same cause, which is already before this Court," a bench comprising Chief Justice J S Khehar and D Y Chandrachud said.

While disposing of the plea filed by one Gurudas Mitra, the bench said, "It is needless to mention that the determination rendered in the pending petitions will govern the outcome of the present petition as well."
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