Triple Talaq, Citizenship Amendment Bills not taken up

The ruling BJP could not push two of its favourite legislations — Triple Talaq Bill and Citizenship Amendment Bill — in the Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session despite passing it in the Lok Sabha.

While the Triple Talaq Bill has hit the hurdle on Opposition's demand for sending it to a Select Committee, the BJP did not try to push it in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, a day after Assam witnessed violence over the passage of the proposed Citizenship Amendment Bill in Lok Sabha.

Both the bills are important for the BJP as it seeks to make them an election issue, which the Oppostion claims is an attempt at communal polarisation.

The Triple Talaq Bill was listed for passage in Rajya Sabha since December 31 but except for that day, the bill did not come up before the House.

The BJP argues that the Triple Talaq Bill is aimed at sending Muslim men who announces instant divorce to jail and the Opposition is not helping the cause of women in the community. However, Opposition claims that they are not opposed to the Bill but against the provision of criminalising as it is a civil matter.

READ: Triple Talaq Bill in cold storage? Oppn issues whip

In the Rajya Sabha, the numbers are stacked against the BJP as more than 110 MPs are against the bill while BJP could muster around 90 MPs in its support.

The ruling BJP also did not push the Citizenship Amendment Bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, in the Upper House after widespread violence in Assam. The Bill aims to ease provisions of citizenship to persecuted minorities in Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Opposition parties are against the Bill as it is not religion-neutral.

The Bill was listed as supplementary business on Wednesday but the Constitution Amendment Bill for providing quota for economically weaker sections was discussed till late night. The widespread violence, including targeting BJP offices in Assam, forced a rethink in BJP.

The BJP is likely to make the issue of Bangladeshi illegal migrants and Triple Talaq Bill in the Lok Sabha elections and target the Opposition of trying to appease the minority communities. The Opposition campaign would be that the BJP is trying to polarise the communities on religious lines.