Speaking in the House, Ranjeeta Ranjan, the Lok Sabha Member of Congress from Supaul in Bihar, said: “I would like to thank you because it made me read the relevant provisions in the Quran then detail. I respect the Quran because it has very well developed rules for divorce. You are under the illusion that Muslim women will vote for you because you pass this vote. You tell me one provision in this bill that will safeguard the interests of women.”

“I am proud of the Quran. Women have equal rights for divorce as men have. It talks about how the relations of two persons and two families are to be maintained. Quran tries to stop divorce through five steps…there cannot be stronger law for divorce than the Quran’s,” said Ranjeeta while participating in the debate over the bill.

Countering the government’s points that even after Supreme Court declared Triple Talaq invalid, there have been 477 cases of Triple Talaq, the MP said: “Govt says that even after SC order, there are 477 cases of Triple Talaq. I want to tell that there are so many dowry deaths despite strong law, Hindu men get other wives even without divorcing the first and thus violate the law. Why don’t you discuss this all here? Why targeting only Muslims? If one gives divorce wrongly, why target only Muslims, why not Hindus? After SC order, so many were killed in mob lynching, why don’t you discuss it? In Muzaffarpur (Bihar), 37 girls were raped under your government, your minister supported the accused, why don’t you discuss it? Is it because the victims are Hindu girls? Through this Triple Talq Bill, you want Muslim votes, but you should not be in any illusion that Muslim women will vote you for this rule?”

“Tell me how are you protecting women in this law? How can a man give support to the woman when he goes to jail and loses the job? What protection are you giving to the women? You are taking them out of Muslim Personal Law, their religion and home. This will create a rift. You have the wrong intention,” said the MP.

She said that if the government is insisting on the law to regulate Muslim divorce, then it should adopt Quranic rules because they are best and the whole Muslim community will accept it.

“If you anyway want to bring law over the issue of Triple Talaq, then I would suggest you read the Quran carefully and enact its divorce rules, the whole Muslim community would accept it. You are just playing with the issue of Muslim women. There should not be Hindu-Muslim divide over atrocities against women and domestic issues,” she added

Source: The Siasat Daily