Bhubaneswar: A day after the passage of Triple Talaq Bill in Parliament, the Congress Wednesday slammed the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) for its support to clear the legislation in the Rajya Sabha.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour in the Assembly, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said, “The Triple Talaq Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha only due to BJD’s support. The party had issued a whip asking all its members to be present in the Rajya Sabha and support the Bill.”
Both Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and BJD were attacking each other before general elections 2019 and BJD president Naveen Patnaik was claiming to maintain equidistance from both BJP and Congress, said Bahinipati.
The party’s support to the BJP for passing all the Bills including the Triple Talaq Bill shows the double standard of the BJD, said the Jeypore MLA.
“It may be BJD’s internal matter, but Naveen Babu should give clarification to the people of this state whether it is a BJD-BJP coalition government or not?” said.
“If it is not a coalition government, why the BJD is supporting all the Bills of the Modi government,” the Congress leader further asked.
Responding to Bahinipati’s allegation, government Chief Whip Pramila Mallick said the party has been maintaining equidistance from both BJP and Congress.
“The BJD is always maintaining equidistance from both BJP and Congress. Rather, I want to ask him (Bahinipati) where the Congress votes have gone in Odisha? In the recently concluded elections to Patkura Assembly seat the Congress votes went to the BJP’s coffer. The Congress has compromised with BJP,” Mallick said.
Regarding the support to Triple Talaq Bill, Mallick said, “There is no problem in supporting the Bill when there is a need for protection of Muslim women in the country.”
Another BJD legislator Amar Prasad Satpathy said the BJD has been prioritising women empowerment for which the party has lent its support. “The BJD’s support to the Triple Talaq Bill should not be politicised,” he added.
The Modi government secured Rajya Sabha’s clearance for the landmark Bill with the support from the BJD, walkout by BJP allies Janata Dal (United) and AIADMK and some abstentions to get Parliament approval for the contentious legislation.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill that makes instant triple talaq a criminal offence was passed with 99 votes in favour and 84 against. It was a major legislative success for the BJP-led NDA in the opposition-dominated Upper House where it lacks majority. The Lok Sabha had passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019 last week.