Govt to oppose triple talaq in SC

New Delhi, September 18

The Centre will be opposing in the Supreme Court the triple talaq practice on the grounds of women’s rights, terming it as “inalienable” and asserting that the issue should not be seen from the prism of uniform civil code, a government functionary said today.

The Law Ministry will file a consolidated reply on the issue in the apex court by the month-end. The issue is being deliberated upon at inter-ministerial level which includes ministries of Home, Finance and Women and Child Development apart from the Law Ministry.

“We shouldn’t approach it from (the prism of) uniform civil code. We need to talk in terms of rights of women. Our reply is going to be only on rights. A woman’s rights are inalienable and according to the Constitution she has to have the same rights as men. Every court decision has slowly been taking us to these uniform rights. The practice of triple talaq doesn’t exist even in Pakistan or Bangladesh. Only we have it,” the senior functionary said.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi met last week to deliberate on government’s possible stand to be taken in the Supreme Court on the issue of Muslim practices of polygamy, triple talaq (talaq-e-bidat) and ‘nikah halala’ (a practice where divorced women, in case they want to go back to their husbands, have to consummate a second marriage).

Sources said there was a consensus among all senior ministers present to look at the issue through the prism of gender rights. Early this month the SC gave the Centre four weeks to submit its reply to a batch of petitions on triple talaq. — PTI