Ordinance is murder of democracy: AIMPLB

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the apex body of Indian Muslims, termed the Triple Talaq ordinance a "murder of democracy" and an "insult to Parliament" on Thursday.

The ordinance, brought by the Centre last week, made triple talaq a criminal offence.

Speaking to reporters here on Thursday, AIMPLB secretary and spokesperson Moulana Khalid Saifullah Rahmani said the NDA government has brought the ordinance through the backdoor.

"This is not a very urgent issue and there was ample room for making the legislation democratically after seeking public opinion," he said.

He further added that Muslim women have already rejected the ordinance and it was not acceptable to the Muslim community.

Answering a question on whether the board will move court against the legislation, he said that board's legal committee will look into it.

Rahmani called the legislation an interference in the Shariat and said the government drafted the bill without consulting the community.

"The government also rejected the demand for referring the bill to a select committee, which would have given an opportunity to the community or its representative organisations, such as the AIMPLB, to put forth their point of view," he said.

Rahmani said the ordinance punishes men who have not committed any crime. He asked why when a man's Triple Talaq pronouncement will not come into effect anyway he has to be sent to jail for three years.

He said the the criminalisation of Triple Talaq will increase the number of women deserted by their husbands.

"Consider the condition of a woman who is neither divorced nor supported financially by her husband. This will deny her an opportunity to start life afresh," he said.

AIMPLB member and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi said the ordinance will anyway lapse in since six months.

He said the Supreme Court, in its verdict on the Triple Talaq issue, did not ask the government to bring legal provisions.

Owaisi said marriage in Islam is a social contract and applying penal provisions is unconstitutional and a violation of fundamental rights.