If Islamic countries can change divorce system, why not India: Prasad on triple talaq issue

Prasad said the government stands by gender justice, gender equality and gender dignity in connection with triple talaq issue as per the Constitution.

Patna: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday said if Islamic countries can amend their divorce system, then why cannot India follow suit.

Noting that the issue is before the Supreme Court and the central government has already cleared its stand in its reply to the court notice, he said the government stands by gender justice, gender equality and gender dignity in connection with triple talaq issue as per the Constitution.

"After the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the central government in the wake of numerous complaints filed by several Muslim women against the triple talaq issue, the government had replied to the notice," said Prasad, who was here to attend a meeting of the state Bharatiya Janata Party.

"In our reply to the apex court, we said that in more than a dozen Islamic countries, the triple talaq system has been regulated. So, if in Islamic countries, this system can be regulated, then why not in India which is a secular nation," he said.

Prasad, a noted lawyer himself, said voices for justice by Muslim women itself suggest that triple talaq can`t be justified under Constitutional provisions as gender justice, non-discrimination and dignity of women are fundamental Constitutional values.