Govt lying about Oppn over Triple Talaq Bill in RS: Congress

New Delhi [India] Jan 3 (ANI): The Congress on Wednesday said that the government was lying about the Opposition's intentions on Triple Talaq Bill in Rajya Sabha.

The government alleged that the Congress and other Opposition parties were trying to derail the bill by demanding it should be referred to a select committee, that too without giving a notice a day in advance.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) does not believe in democracy.

"The bills are generally referred to the select committee based on the 'Sense of the House' i.e majority. But, the government didn't accept which once again proved that the BJP doesn't believe in democracy, parliament, and parliamentary democracy," Azad said.

He added: "It is legally mandatory that all bills must go through a standing committee of Lok Sabha and if it doesn't happen then such bill should be referred to select committee of the Rajya Sabha."

Senior Congress leader Anand Sharma said Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and Union Finance Minster have lied on the issue.

"The government is playing politics in the name of triple talaq bill by selectively misquoting and misrepresenting even the Supreme Court Constitutional Bench judgement, which was done by Leader of Rajya Sabha (Arun Jaitley) today," Sharma said.

He added: "If the other house has not scrutinised the bill, it is the constitutional duty of the Rajya Sabha to do that. The government doesn't want a debate on it, so it is wrong on the part of the Law Minister to say that we (Opposition) don't want to debate it."

The Congress leader said all the opposition parties are against triple talaq and want a 'correct law' on it.

"All the political parties which are in opposition had made it clear abundantly on the floor of the house and outside that we oppose triple talaq but are in favour of a law, which is correct, ensures complete protection to Muslim women and also for their welfare. And that can only be achieved if the lacunae in the present law, which are not been sync with the Supreme Court judgement, are removed," Sharma said.

He also appealed the government to go through the language of the resolution that the Opposition parties have moved.

"It has been stated on the floor of the house that the bill be referred to a select committee. We have given the names from Opposition and made it clear that it is for the ruling BJP to give names of its members. We have also said in the motion itself that the select committee report must be placed before the house in the first week of the budget session, which is few weeks away," Sharma said.

Earlier, a pandemonium broke out in the Upper House soon after the bill was tabled by Prasad.

Sharma moved the notice to refer the bill to a select committee of Rajya Sabha. He even proposed the names of committee members following which the Upper House witnessed a stormy session.

To this end, Jaitley said Congress moved the motion without any prior notice and that it was trying to derail the bill.

He further said the bill should not be referred to the select committee as the triple talaq has already been declared as unconstitutional and unfair by the Supreme Court. (ANI)