The Lok Sabha on Thursday took up the much talked about the Muslim Women – Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill with the Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad making a fervent appeal to the members not to see the issue with “political prism”.
“Is mamley ko siyashi chasmey sey na dekhe (Please do not see this issue of rights of Muslim women with political prism),” Prasad said as the government has been forced to pilot it yet again in the Lower House.
Passed by Lok Sabha twice, the Bill lapsed as the 16th Lok Sabha was dissolved before the Rajya Sabha could give its nod to the much controversial draft law – which has been opposed by several opposition parties including the Congress, the Left parties including RSP and the Trinamool Congress.
Bills that are introduced in Rajya Sabha and are pending do not lapse with the dissolution of Lok Sabha, but the draft laws passed by Lok Sabha and pending in the Rajya Sabha, however, lapse.
“I would like to appeal to the House, please do not see the Bill with political prism. It should not be seen as a matter of religious issue also. This is an issue of Insaaf (justice) and Insaniyat (humanity),” he said.
Law Minister said: “This is a matter of women prestige and respect and neither of faith or the manner one worships”.
He said after the opposition members have raised objections, several corrective steps have been taken.
Opposing the Bill, RSP member N K Premachandran said the government has brought in as many as three Ordinances on the issue.
He alleged apparently the government had “political motives” in bringing it.
P K Kunhalikutty of Indian Union of Muslim League (IUML) also said the government only had political intent in piloting the draft law.
He demanded that the Bill should be withdrawn. BJP member Meenakshi Lekhi, however, supported the Bill. In this context, she referred to country’s first Prime Minister and said Pt Jawaharlal Nehru had himself said “creating a secular state in a religious country” was biggest challenge for him.
“Kya yeh dikkatey aaj Pradhan Mantri Modi ki nahi hae (Perhaps incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi also faces similar challenge),” the New Delhi MP said.
(UNI)
