Senior JD-U leader and Bihar minister Shayam Razak said: "JD-U is opposed to it and we will continue to stand against it."
The JD-U leader said Triple Talaq is a social issue and it should be resolved by the society at the social level. Razak said it was the JD-U that voted against the Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
Earlier, Nitish Kumar had publicly opposed the Triple Talaq Bill.
Early this week, the Bihar Chief Minister reiterated his stand that the proposals to remove Article 370, impose a Uniform Civil Code and construct a Ram temple in Ayodhya either be settled through dialogue or court ruling.
"It has been our view that Article 370 should not be removed. Similarly, Uniform Civil Code should not be imposed on anyone and the issue of Ram temple in Ayodhya be either resolved through dialogue or court order," Nitish Kumar said.
The JD (U) will also remain out of the Modi 2.0, reportedly because of differences arising from portfolio distribution.
The Cabinet on Wednesday cleared a fresh Bill to ban instant triple talaq. The Bill will be introduced in the Budget session of the Parliament—which begins on Monday—to replace the government’s February ordinance.
With the dissolution of the 16th Lok Sabha last month, the previous Bill, which was pending in Rajya Sabha, lapsed.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, which makes the practice of instant triple talaq or talaq-e-biddat a penal offence, had faced objections from the opposition parties.
The Opposition says imprisonment for a man divorcing his wife is legally untenable. The government, however, has maintained that the proposed legislation is in the spirit of “gender equality” and in line with the government’s philosophy of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’.
The government promulgated the ordinance on triple talaq twice—in September 2018 and once again in February 2019—as the contentious Bill remained pending in Rajya Sabha. The Bill had been passed by Lok Sabha.
Under the Muslim Women Ordinance 2019, divorcing through instant triple talaq is illegal, void and will attract a jail term of three years for the husband.
In August 2018, the Cabinet had cleared amendments that included certain safeguards in an attempt to allay fears regarding the misuse of the proposed law.
While the ordinance makes Triple Talaq a “non-bailable” offence, the accused can approach a magistrate even before trial to seek bail.
As per practice, in a non-bailable offence, police cannot release a person on bail without a court order. A provision was added to allow the magistrate to grant bail, but only after the wife agrees.
In the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha, the government plans to convert 10 ordinances, including the one on triple talaq, into laws.
The ordinances were issued in February-March this year by the previous Modi government as these could not be converted into Acts in the last session of the 16th Lok Sabha.
