Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday thanked "all parties and MPs" who supported the passage of Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 and said that with the legislation crossing the Rajya Sabha hurdle a "historical wrong done to Muslim women" was corrected.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah also hailed the development.
"An archaic and medieval practice has finally been confined to the dustbin of history! Parliament abolishes Triple Talaq and corrects a historical wrong done to Muslim women. This is a victory of gender justice and will further equality in society. India rejoices today!" Modi tweeted.
"I thank all parties and MPs who have supported the passage of The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 in both Houses of Parliament. They have risen to the occasion and this step of theirs will forever be remembered in India's history," he said in another tweet.
The Prime Minister said this is an occasion to salute the remarkable courage of those Muslim women who have suffered great wrongs just due to the practice of Triple Talaq.
"The abolition of Triple Talaq will contribute to women empowerment and give women the dignity they deserve in our society," he said in the tweet.
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Echoing similar sentiments, Shah said that the bill freed Muslim women from the curse of this regressive practice.
"Today is a great day for India's democracy. I congratulate PM Narendra Modi ji for fulfilling his commitment and ensuring a law to ban Triple Talaq, which will free Muslim women from the curse of this regressive practice. I thank all parties who supported this historic bill," the Home Minister tweeted.
Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the government has fulfilled its commitment by giving justice to Muslim women.
"Today is a historic day. Both the Houses have given justice to Muslim women. This is the beginning of a transforming India," he told reporters outside Parliament.
Prasad tweeted: "A historic day when the Rajya Sabha passed the #TripleTalaq Bill, earlier passed by Lok Sabha. Govt of PM @narendramodi has fulfilled its commitment by giving justice to Muslim women. No more Talaq-Talaq-Talaq!"
Former finance minister Arun Jaitley also lauded the development and tweeted, "The passage of the bill criminalising Triple Talaq in Muslim Personal Law is monumental change in Personal Law. Disheartened that the 'So Called Liberals' have opposed a progressive law. Congratulations to all, particularly Muslim women."
However, on the contrary, Congress leader Raj Babbar termed the bill as a "historical mistake".
"I think this is a big blow for family law in the country. A civil law has been made a criminal law. It's a historic mistake," he said.
The government scored a major victory in the Rajya Sabha on the back of cracks in the opposition when the House passed the triple talaq bill after rejecting the Opposition's demand to refer it to the select committee and to remove the criminality clause which provides for jailing the husband for three years for pronouncing triple talaq to his wife.
The Bill was passed with 99 members in its favour while 84 members voted against it in the final division. In the division on referring it to select committee, the government got 100 votes while 84 voted against.
The government, which does not have a majority in the Upper House, still managed to have a smooth sailing for the contentious bill because parties like AIADMK, which has 11 members and JDU, with six, walked out after recording their opposition to the bill.
MPs belonging to parties like YSRCP and TRS reportedly abstained from voting while NCP leaders Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel and some Congress members were absent.
The Bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha.
The motion to refer the Bill to a select committee was negated with 84 members voting in its favour while 100 voted against it. The amendments moved by several opposition members were also defeated either by voting or by voice vote.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage), Bill, 2019 criminalises instant triple talaq among Muslims and attracts a jail term of three years for the husband.
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