RS to take up triple talaq bill on Tuesday

The government has listed the contentious triple talaq bill for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

The bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha by a voice vote amidst a walkout by the Congress, the Samajwadi Party, the Trinamool Congress, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and others.

The bill was passed by the 16th Lok Sabha but could not pass the Rajya Sabha hurdle.

The ruling BJP has issued a whip to its MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House.

The bill, which criminalises instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for the guilty, was the first draft legislation tabled by the Narendra Modi government in this first session after it took oath of office for a second term in May.

Several opposition parties have bitterly opposed it but the government has asserted that the bill is a step towards gender equality and justice. Parties like the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK have demanded that it be sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny.

Unlike lower house, where the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance enjoys strong majority, the ruling alliance will face an uphill task in Rajya Sabha where opposition parties have numerical advantage over the treasury benches.

Some of the BJP's allies, including the Janata Dal-United, have also expressed their reservation about the bill.