Triple Talaq denied women enjoyment of fundamental rights, Centre tells SC

DHNS

New Delhi, 11 Apr 2017: The Union government on Monday contended before the Supreme Court the practice of Triple Talaq and polygamy denied the Muslim women full enjoyment of fundamental rights and should be declared as unconstitutional.

 

It claimed these practices impact the social status and dignity of women. In its written submission on a batch of PILs, the government also maintained that Islam did not sanction these practices and that they existed due to social norms certain centuries ago. The matter would be examined by a five-judge Constitution Bench during the summer vacation.

 

The government said, “Practices such as polygamy cannot be described as being sanctioned by religion in as much as historically, polygamy prevailed across communities for several centuries including the ancient Greeks and Romans, Hindus, Jews and Zoroastrians. It had less to do with religion and more to do with social norms at the time.”

 

It also claimed that Triple Talaq rendered Muslim women vulnerable and without any security unlike women of other religions in the country. Such discrimination based on religion cannot be countenanced in a secular country, it said.