Making a strong pitch for the passage of Triple Talaq bill in Rajya Sabha in the Budget session starting from tomorrow, the Narendra Modi Government said it would do everything possible to bring consensus on the matter. The government while pointing out that it would discuss the issue with Opposition parties, urged that they cooperate on the issue in the upcoming session. ““We hope the Triple Talaq Bill is passed in Rajya Sabha too. My colleagues & I will leave no stone unturned in talking to and convincing the political parties. The way they have passed GST unanimously, we request them to pass this too unanimously,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananth Kumar was quoted as saying by ANI, while addressing the media after the all-party meeting in Parliament.
Further, informing about the meeting, he said, “PM said budget session is very important and the government takes very sincerely the suggestions given about it by the opposition during the discussion in the all-party meeting,”. While referring to the demand of the Opposition parties that the bill is sent to the selection committee, the minister said that the bill has now been sent to the Upper House, which will decide on it. One of the major contention of a number of opposition parties when the Bill was tabled during the winter session was the provision of criminalisation. Even as the government wants to push triple talaq bill during the session, it is all set to present the Economic Survey tomorrow after a joint address by President Ram Nath Kovind. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will present the Union Budget on February 1.
During the session, the Opposition plans to counter the government on issues like incidents of rape and other atrocities on women, alleged attacks on the Constitution and constitutional institutions and the plight of traders, apart from the recent incident of violence in Uttar Pradesh. The opposition has urged the government to allow a discussion on these issues during the session. In the meantime, Opposition leaders may meet tomorrow to push for unity and to discuss ways to corner the government jointly. The BJP Parliamentary Party executive will also meet tomorrow.