Rajya Sabha Passes Triple Talaq Bill 99-84 as Opposition Numbers Fall Short
The Rajya Sabha on Tuesday passed the bill making instant triple talaq a criminal offence, with 99 members voting for it and 84 against. The legislation follows a 2017 Supreme Court ruling that declared instant triple talaq unconstitutional. The Lok Sabha had passed the bill last week.
How the government got its numbers
Before the final vote, the House defeated an Opposition motion seeking scrutiny of the bill by a Select Committee of the House, by 100 votes to 84. The BJD backed the bill, while the JD(U) and the AIADMK walked out, which lowered the majority mark from its usual 121. In the 242-member House, the NDA’s own strength is 107.
The ruling alliance also gained from the absence of some SP and BSP members, as well as members of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and the YSR Congress. A similar approach had enabled the government to push through a contested amendment to the Right to Information Act last week, even though it lacks a majority in the Upper House.
Once the President gives his assent, the bill will replace an ordinance to the same effect that was last promulgated on February 21.
The government’s case
Replying to a debate that lasted about four and a half hours, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad defended jail terms of up to three years for Muslim men found guilty of the practice by pointing to prison provisions in the laws against dowry and against multiple marriages by Hindu men.
He urged members not to view the bill through a political lens or in terms of vote-bank politics, saying it was about justice, dignity and equality for women. “This is a question of humanity,” he said.
Prasad told the House that 574 cases of the practice had been reported since the Supreme Court judgment, and 101 since the government’s last ordinance criminalising it. He said more than 20 Islamic countries regulate triple talaq in one form or another, and that although India is a secular country, it had for various reasons not managed to do the same.
See also: Bharatiya Janata Party, YSR Congress Party and more political news.
Originally published on 31 July 2019. Rewritten on 9 October 2026.
Related News
Assembly Elections 2026 Dates
Election 2026 Date Announcement LIVE: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has officially announced theRead More
Anti-CAA protests planned in Kolkata as Modi arrives; Owaisi leads Hyderabad rally
Opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and a proposed nationwide NRC was set toRead More
Comments are Closed