Triple Talaq Bill: The curious case of Mehbooba Mufti’s missing MPs during vote in Rajya Sabha

Triple Talaq Bill: The Modi government’s morale booster in getting the contentious Triple Talaq Bill a green signal from the Rajya Sabha witnessed the Opposition faltering on many counts. After a smooth sail in Lok Sabha, the Modi government was jittery about the bill’s fate in the Upper House where it lacks the numbers. However, with a number of Opposition parties walking out or abstaining from voting, the task of getting the legislation through became much easier.

Representatives of like Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party and Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party were missing during the voting on the bill on Tuesday which helped the Modi government secure 99 votes in the Bill’s favour and 84 against it. Ironically, these members had been vocal in their objections to the bill and some of its provisions during the debate in the house.  Bahujan Samaj Party’s four, Samajwadi Party’s seven, Nationalist Congress Party’s two and one MP each from Trinamool Congress, Left, Rashtriya Janata Dal, DMK and YSR Congress remained absent during voting. Five Congress MPs were also missing from the House when the division of votes took place.

Also Read: Triple Talaq Bill: How NDA divided the opposition to pass PM Modi’s favourite bill in Rajya Sabha

Soon after Rajya Sabha chairman Venkaiah Naidu announced that the bill banning instant divorce among Muslims has been passed, Mehbooba Mufti tweeted to describe it as a move to punish Muslims. “Fail to understand the need to pass the triple talaq bill especially since the Supreme Court had already declared it illegal. Undue interference seemingly to punish Muslims. Given the current state of the economy, should this really have been a priority?” she said.

What Mufti missed to point out that two of her own party’s MPs did not take part in voting over the bill, reducing the majority mark in the house and making the job that much easier for the Centre. Former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah was quick to remind Mehbooba that by not voting, PDP actually helped the Modi government achieve its objective.

“Mehbooba Mufti ji, you might want to check how your members voted on this bill before tweeting. I understand they abstained which helped the government with the numbers needed to pass the bill. You can’t help the government & then “fail to understand need to pass”!” Omar Abdullah said in his tweet.

The Twitter duel between the two top Kashmiri leaders then saw Mehbooba hitting back at the National Conference president while seeking to justify the decision of PDP Rajya Sabha MPs to abstain from voting.

“Omar sahab, I suggest you get off your moral high horse since it was your own party that expelled Soz sahab for voting against the BJP in 1999. FYI in parliament, abstention is essentially a no vote,” Mehbooba Mufti said in her response to Omar Abdullah.

The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2019, which was passed by Lok Sabha last week, bans divorce through instant triple talaq in the Muslim community. The bill, which now awaits final approval from President Ram Nath Kovind, has a provision of jail term of three years for the husband in case of violation.