Triple Talaq Issue: Rahul Gandhi breaks silence, says Congress against 'criminalisation' aspect

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday broke his silence on triple talaq and said that the party was against the criminalisation aspect of the bill but did not stonewall anything. 

Speaking in London Gandhi said,''Our issue is with the criminalisation aspect but we have not stonewalled anything.''

Triple Talaq has become a political issue post-Supreme Court ruling on it.

The BJP has treated triple talaq talk as an issue of gender reform whereas conservatives within the minority community treat it as an interference in the personal laws of Muslims. Triple Talaq Bill was passed in Lok Sabha but it is still pending in Rajya Sabha.

The bill has not been introduced in Rajya Sabha due to the Congress opposition. 

Speaking to DNA-WION, MA Naqvi, Minister in charge of Minority Affairs and with additional portfolio of Parliamentary Affairs, said,''This is the double standard of the Congress Party. They have stalled the bill in the Parliament. First the,y wanted the bill to go to the Select Committee now they are not allowing to come up for discussion.''

For Rajya Sabha, BJP had added two amendments which were not part of the original bill passed by Lok Sabha. The first amendment makes it possible to take bail from the magistrate which is not part of the original draft. The second amendment makes FIR limited to the blood relative. BJP had used this issue in the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections with great success.

Rahul Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Doklam issue.

“Do you know that Chinese have built a massive infrastructure at Doklam. PM went to China recently. He did not discuss the issue of Doklam. He did not discuss the issue of infrastructure. He had a conversation without an agenda. Somebody comes and slaps you across the face and you have a non-agenda conversation,'' Gandhi said.

Rahul Gandhi met journalists and students at separate venues in London and responded to multiple queries.

Speaking in London, he candidly admitted that a grand coalition will shape up before the Lok Sabha election in India but added that Congress Party will have no truck with ideologically opposed parties.

“There are parties who were with BJP and are now opposed to it. We are only going to align with parties who are ideologically aligned to us,” said Rahul Gandhi.

He also said that though Congress is an old party but in past it had become difficult to become a part of it. “Congress needs to open up. Party requires a mix of young and old. It is happening now. Look at the team of Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan,” said Rahul Gandhi.