Owaisi should be happy that government is making certain protections for Muslim women through Triple Talaq bill, said Mehmood Pracha, member of All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) here on Friday.
Pracha said the arguments given by the opposition shows that they have not studied the bill properly.
"Owaisi is saying that there is one-year punishment for men in other communities but Muslim men will get three years. I do not think there for men there is one-year punishment for divorce in any community. That punishment is under Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 and that itself is for violation of a protection order," he said.
However, he also criticised the bill. If anything, according to Mehmood Pracha, Owaisi as a Muslim leader should be very happy that certain protections are being made for Muslim women and he should rather criticize the government on the ground that the bill is not strong enough.
"Firstly, the bill does not take care of women in situations where Muslim men without uttering triple talaq throw out his wife. Secondly, women do not get any financial protection in this bill and matters like financial assistance should be decided by the magistrate within 5-7 days else women will get harassed in court for years without getting a single rupee in maintenance just like the provisions in section 125 in Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC,) and Domestic Violence Act (2005)," he said.
"I think BJP can be successful in highlighting the wrong point of Muslim community or showing Muslim community down but it will not give anything to Muslim women," he added.
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The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 was introduced on the first day of business in the newly formed 17th Lok Sabha. After its introduction, it met stiff opposition in the Parliament, most prominently from Congress and Muslim Majlis.
After a brief discussion, the motion for tabling the bill was put to vote. 186 members voted for introduction and 74 against.
In his objections, Congress member Shashi Tharoor said: "The bill does nothing to improve the status of Muslim women." He contended that the Bill would supersede the existing civil and criminal laws and cannot claim exception under Art 15 of the Constitution.
Asaduddin Owaisi, Member of Parliament from Hyderabad Constituency, asked how an arrested husband can pay for her maintenance and thus bill is not in the interest of Muslim women.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), Owaisi, also contended that there was no need for a separate law after the Supreme Court had declared triple talaq as null and void. The Muslim women were also covered under the Domestic Violence Act, Section 125 of the Cr Procedure Code and the Muslim Marriage Act.
Replying to the objections, Law Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad put up a stiff defense of the government move saying the issue was not of religion but of women.
"There is no religion, no prayers no rituals. It is about justice and rights of women. It is a matter of humanity. The rights of Muslim women will be protected. It is about justice and empowerment of women," he said.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, seeks to criminalize the act of instant divorce among Muslims with a three-year jail sentence.
The bill was passed by the Lok Sabha in December last year but lapsed in the Rajya Sabha after the dissolution of the Lower House. The current bill seeks to replace an ordinance for the same which was issued by the cabinet last February.