Parliament Session: The Union government has extended the first session of the 17th Lok Sabha till August 7. The session was set to expire on Friday but unfinished legislative agenda forced the government to extend the session by another 8 sittings. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi informed the Lok Sabha about the extension. Several important bills, including a bill to ban instant oral divorce practiced by a section of Muslims in the country, are pending and the government is keen to pass them in the ongoing session.

The first session of the new Lok Sabha began on June 17 and it was set to end on July 26. However, a large number of bills are pending in Parliament. Three bills are related to ordinances already in operation that must be passed otherwise they will expire.

These are These three ordinances are: (i) the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Second Ordinance, 2019, (ii) the Companies (Amendment) Second Ordinance, 2019, and (iii) the Banning of Unregulated Deposit Schemes Ordinance, 2019.

Lok Sabha passed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage), Bill 2019 on Thursday evening. 303 Lok Sabha members voted in favour of the bill while 85 members voted against the bill. A large section of opposition parties walked out in protest of the bill.

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The Triple Talaq Bill will now be transmitted to the Rajya Sabha for its consideration and passage. However, it will be a challenge for the government’s floor managers to manage the number in the upper house as the ruling coalition lacks majority in the Rajya Sabha.

A united opposition has already made its intention clear that it will oppose the bill.

Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar had yesterday hinted that the government may extend the session as it was not easy for the government to get the Triple Talaq Bill passed in the Lok Sabha on Thursday and push it in the Rajya Sabha on the last day of the session.

An opposition member in the Rajya Sabha had told Financial Express Online that opposition parties will not allow the government to take up the Triple Talaq Bill in the Rajya Sabha on Friday as the day is meant for taking up private members’ bills.

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