Rajya Sabha adjourned amid uproar by Oppn without any decision on triple talaq bill

The deadlock on the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha continued on Thursday with the opposition insisting on its reference to a Select Committee for detailed scrutiny and the government rejecting the demand.

With no agreement, the government placed the bill in the bottom of priority in the list of business, which the opposition strongly objected to and demanded that its motions for referring the bill to a Select Committee be taken up immediately.

As Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien pleaded helplessness on the ground that the listing of business was the government's priority and decided to go ahead with a bill on GST, opposition members created an uproar, forcing him to adjourn the House for the day.

It now remains to be seen whether the government lists the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, which seeks to criminalise instant divorce by uttering talaq thrice, for consideration on Friday -- the last day of the winter session.

Earlier, the opposition wanted the Chair to put the motions moved by Congress leader Anand Sharma and Trinamool Congress member Sukhendu Shekar Roy for reference of



the legislation to a proposed Select Committee be put to vote immediately.

They contended that before the House adjourned on Wednesday, a division was to be taken and so the Rajya Sabha should pick up the thread from where it was left.

After some discussion, the two sides agreed to conduct a short-duration discussion on the economy and take up the matter regarding triple talaq bill after that.

After Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's reply to the discussion, the opposition returned to its demand for a vote on the two motions.

Jaitley, who is also Leader of the House, raised questions over the validity of the two motions saying the statutory requirement of 24 hours advance notice was not given and that the proposed committee was not representative in character.

Citing earlier rulings, he said a parliamentary panel has to represent the character of the House and be a "microcosm of the House".

Jaitley also said the work of a Select Committee was to improve a bill and a "saboteur" cannot be a part of the panel and as such was disqualified to be a part of it.