New Delhi: An article reported in The Indian Express, dated 17th December, 2017, incongruously stated the stand of Ministry of Women and Child Development on ‘Triple Talaq’. The article is deliberately mischievous and factually misleading.
The Ministry has always maintained its stand opposing Triple Talaq. Hon’ble Minister Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi had requested in January 2017 that a group of ministers be constituted to deliberate on the issue of Triple Talaq as the Ministry was a respondent in the Triple Talaq case in Hon’ble Supreme Court. Ministry WCD has fully supported the Cabinet’s proposal on ‘Triple Talaq’ to make instant talaq a criminal offence.
The Union Cabinet on Friday approved a Bill that makes instant triple talaq a criminal offence and a Muslim husband resorting to instant talaq can be jailed for up to three years.
Instant triple talaq in any form — oral, written or electronic form — has been banned and made a cognisable offence. The Bill also provides for a subsistence allowance for a harassed Muslim woman and her dependent children and the custodial rights of minor children.
The Ministry consistently endeavours to socially and legally empower Muslim women and has always taken a strong stand in support of them. The news article in The Indian Express therefore does not represent the views of the Ministry.
WCD Ministry also strongly opines that it should have been contacted for clarification before the concerned newspaper put out the story on a subject with such serious ramifications
