Even Lord Ram once left Sita over doubt: Congress MP on triple talaq bill

NEW DELHI: Even as the Narendra Modi government prepares to push the triple talaq bill in the Rajya Sabha, a senior Congress leader has called for further modification in the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill, which criminalises instant divorce.
Congress MP Hussain Dalwai also clarified on his remarks made in the Rajya Sabha on Lord Ram.
Later, speaking to Zee News, Dalwai said, ”The Modi government is not interested in the welfare of Muslim women. The government’s promise of giving more rights to the Muslim women and empowering them is just an eye-wash.”
Though the Union Cabinet has proposed three changes in the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill, a lot still needs to be done, the Congress MP said.
Clarifying his remarks on Lord Ram, Dalwai said that he is a devotee of the deity too. But, what he said was meant to highlight the fact that even Hindu women had suffered a lot since the ancient times.
While speaking in the Parliament over triple talaq bill, Dalwai had triggered a controversy by saying, ”Women are being treated unfairly in all communities, not just Muslims, even Hindus, Christians, Sikhs etc. In every society, there is male domination. Even Shree Ram Chandra ji once left Sita ji after doubting her. So we need to change as a whole.”
The Congress MP from Maharashtra, however, said that what he said was not meant to malign any religion.
Dalwai had last year written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, saying the move to criminalise the practice of triple talaq was ‘extremely problematic’.
The Congress MP said that while he was opposed to the practice of triple talaq in principle, the government’s move was selectively targeting Muslims.
BJP’s Rakesh Sinha, an RSS ideologue who was recently nominated to the Rajya Sabha, hit back at Dalwai, saying that he has no right to drag Lord Ram’s name in the debate over triple talaq.
Several BJP MPs too raised objections to Dalwai’s statement in the Rajya Sabha and the demanded the same to be expunged.