Govt. stands by gender justice, gender equality, gender dignity: Law Minister

Patna (Bihar) [India] Oct. 14 (ANI): Clarifying the government's stand on triple talaq, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday asserted that the Centre stands by gender justice, gender equality and gender dignity. Prasad said the Centre has while replying to a notice issued by the Supreme Court in the wake of numerous complaints filed by Muslim women, who were the victims of the triple talaq system, asserted that when Islamic nations can regulate the Muslim divorce system then why can't India. "The Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Indian Government in the wake of numerous complaints filed by several Muslim women against the triple talaq system. The Muslim women had been asking for justice in this regard. Replying to the notice of the apex court, we have said that the government stands by gender justice, gender equality and gender dignity, as these are also the basic constituents of our Constitution," said Prasad. "Secondly, we have said that in more than a dozen Islamic countries the triple talaq system has been regulated. So, if in Islamic countries this system can be regulated then why not in India which is a secular nation," he added. Yesterday, the AIMPLB said they will boycott the Uniform Civil Law as they feel it is not good for the nation. "We will boycott the questionnaire sent by the Law Commission and we have decided that Muslims of the country will not answer this question as it is not acceptable and not good for the nation," Hazrat Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani of the MPLB said. Rahmani said there are a number of people living in this country belonging from different cultures and added that to bind the culture under one unique code is not acceptable. The Law Commission earlier last week sought public opinion on the exercise of reforming family laws of all religions. The commission has reportedly appealed to members of religious, minority and social groups, non-government organisations, to present their views through a questionnaire on a range of issues, including the practice of triple talaq, the right to property for a woman citizen and polygamy. However, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has been defending the triple talaq system and termed the filing of the affidavit as 'un-islamic.' They claim that triple talaq is a personal law and the Centre has no right to modify it. (ANI)