Triple talaq ordinance unconstitutional, against Muslim women: Asaduddin Owaisi

Hyderabad: Minutes after the Union Cabinet approved ordinance making triple talaq punishable, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi called the move “unconstitutional”.

“This Ordinance is unconstitutional. The ordinance is against the Constitution's right to equality as it is being made only for Muslims. All India Muslim Personal Law Board and women organisations should challenge this ordinance in the Supreme Court,” said the Hyderabad MP.

“This ordinance will not provide justice to the Muslim women. In Islam, marriage is a civil contract and bringing penal provisions in it is wrong,” Owaisi added.

Triple talaq is the Islamic practice of divorcing by uttering the word “talaq” thrice in any form – spoken, in writing, or over electronic communication.

“Cabinet has today approved an ordinance on Triple Talaq. The core component of this Ordinance is that an offence will be cognisable only when the FIR is filed by the victim wife or her close relations by blood or marriage,” Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad informed on Wednesday during a press briefing.

Also Read: Cabinet approves ordinance making triple talaq punishable offence

Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Owaisi said: “I demand from PM that this national requires a law for those married women, who are 24 lakh in number, their husbands in their election affidavit say they are married but the wife is not living with them. PM should bring a law for those deserted married women.”