India approves ban on instant divorce among minority Muslims

In a landmark move, the Indian government Wednesday approved a ban on triple talaq, a prevalent practice of instant divorce common among the country's minority Muslims, by passing an executive order.

The Indian Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, gave its nod to the ordinance making triple talaq an offence after the government failed to pass an amended legislation in Upper House of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) due to lack of support from some opposition parties.

Indian Muslim women shows the victory sign after the historical judgement of Supreme Court on Triple Talaq has been declared unconstitutional on Tuesday, 22nd August, 2017 in Kolkata, India. [File photo: VCG]

"The Cabinet has passed the triple talaq ordinance. The Supreme Court has already banned the practice," Indian Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told the media in the national capital, hailing it as a major victory for Muslim women.

Indian President Ram Nath Kovind will now have to sign the executive order for making it effective, officials said.

However, the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017, has diluted three provisions.

While the first amendment allows only a woman to lodge a police complaint against her husband for instant divorce, the second one permits her to drop the case after a compromise with her husband, an official said.

Under the third change, a court can give bail to the husband after hearing his wife in a case.