New Delhi: The Lok Sabha on Thursday passed a bill providing for a prison term to a Muslim man who divorces his wife through instant ``triple talaq' practice which was declared illegal by the Supreme Court on August 22 this year. At the end of nearly five-hour long debate, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 was passed by the Lok Sabha, negating a number of amendments moved by the opposition members. Asaduddin Owaisi (AIMMM) pressed for division for his amendments which were negated by a huge margin.
Replying to the debate, Union Law and Justice Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said that utterance of `talaq' thrice by a man was irrevocable and thus was made a criminal offence. ``Though the offence is non-bailable by the police, a magistrate can grant bail. Subsistence allowance can be given under Section 125 CrPc by a magistrate,' he said. The bill will now be sent to the Rajya Sabha where the government is likely to face some stiff criticism.