Ordinance a huge step towards women empowerment: BJP

The BJP on Wednesday described the government's decision to bring an ordinance to make the practice of instant triple talaq a penal offence as a huge step towards "empowering women".

Taking a dig at the Congress, BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said Kapil Sibal, a leader of the opposition party, defended this practice in the Supreme Court.

For all these years, the Congress politicised the triple talaq issue for vote bank politics. The Congress should be ashamed of itself, Patra said at a press conference at the party office here.

The BJP thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing the ordinance.

It is a huge feat and huge step towards empowering women, Patra said.

The Union cabinet cleared an ordinance to make the practice of instant triple talaq a penal offence on Wednesday.

Briefing the media about the cabinet decision, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress party of not cooperating in the passage of the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill, pending in the Rajya Sabha, because of vote bank politics.

The Supreme Court last year banned the practice. But since the practice was still prevalent, a bill was brought to make it a penal offence.