If BJP wins UP, will consult Muslim women on triple talaq : Amit Shah

5 Dariya News

Lucknow , 29 Jan 2017

BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday raked up the 'triple talaq' issue ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections and said if the party wins, it will seek the opinion of the state's Muslim women and approach the Supreme Court accordingly."If voted to power, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will seek the opinion of Muslim women in Uttar Pradesh on the triple 'talaq' issue, which is going on in the Supreme Court," Shah said, while releasing his party's manifesto for the assembly polls here.The state will witness seven phased election from February 11 to March 8."And on the basis of that opinion, the BJP government in the state will then approach the Supreme Court," Shah added.The Allahabad High Court had in December last year termed triple talaq as "cruelty against Muslim women" and said no "Personal Law Board" was above the Constitution. The court had observed that Islamic law was being wrongly interpreted.Triple talaq is interpreted as the Islamic practice of divorcing a woman by uttering the word 'talaq' thrice. Most Muslim countries do not approve of it.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) had said the decision of the high court was "not in line with the Shariyat", but the concept of triple talaq has come under attack from Muslim women activists. Shah's mention of triple talaq during BJP's manifesto release is being seen as an indication that the party will rake up the issue during its election campaign in the state. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also talked about triple talaq at a rally in Uttar Pradesh in October and said the government and the society should ensure justice to Muslim women and not let their lives be destroyed by triple talaq.Modi had also urged people not to make triple talaq a Hindu-Muslim issue and slammed political parties who he said were politicising the issue.