New Delhi: The government has listed the contentious triple talaq bill for consideration and passage in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Ahead of the tabling of the bill in the Upper House, at least four Union ministers and two senior Rajya Sabha lawmakers have reportedly spoken to opposition parties and some alliance partners who have expressed reservation on the bill.
According to sources, some MPs from Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) may abstain from voting, while members of ally Janata Dal United (JDU) are also likely to skip the session.
The bill has already been passed by the Lok Sabha by a voice vote amidst a walkout by Congress, SP, Trinamool Congress, DMK and others. The bill was passed by the 16th Lok Sabha but could not pass the Rajya Sabha hurdle.
The ruling BJP has issued a whip to its MPs, asking them to ensure their presence in the House.
The bill, which criminalises instant divorce by Muslim men and seeks jail term for the guilty, was the first draft legislation tabled by the Narendra Modi government in this first session after it took oath of office for a second term in May.
Several opposition parties have bitterly opposed it but the government has asserted that the bill is a step towards gender equality and justice. Parties like the Congress, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK have demanded that it be sent to a parliamentary committee for scrutiny.
Unlike lower house, where the BJP-led NDA enjoys strong majority, the ruling alliance will face an uphill task in Rajya Sabha where opposition parties have numerical advantage over the treasury benches. Some of the BJP's allies, including the JD(U), have also expressed their reservation about the bill.
(With PTI inputs)
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