Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday called for an end Muslim practice of triple talaq.

Adityanath equated the Muslim practice of divorce to the disrobing of Draupadi in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. 

“These days there is a new debate in the country. Some people are maintaining a silence on this issue. This reminds me of the scene in the Mahabharata in which Draupadi is being disrobed in an Assembly and she asks a question to the gathering as to who is responsible for this?” he said. 

“…No one was able to utter even a single word. At that time Vidur said people who have committed the crime, those who are the accomplices and those who maintained silence on this issue are equally responsible,” Adityanath said, referring to the practice of ‘triple talaq’. 

The Uttar Pradesh CM further said that the politicians who are maintaining silence on the issue of ‘triple talaq’ were equally responsible as those practising it.  

Speaking at an event to mark the 91st birth anniversary of former prime minister Chandrashekhar, Adityanath also called for an end to the Muslim practice of ‘triple talaq’ and advocated implementation of a common civil code in the country. He slammed those who were against uniform civil code, questioning why should there be two laws when the entire country was one.

Adityanath also said that politics should be practised under the constitutional limits and pointed out that the late Chandrashekhar was also a votary of common laws. 

The Chief Minister said Chandrashekhar had the courage to speak the truth even if it was bitter and that despite being a socialist by heart he was a spiritual man as well. 

The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Uttar Pradesh has already said that it would get a referendum conducted among Muslim women on the issue of triple talaaq. His remarks came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi dubbed triple talaq a “bad social practice”.

The PM made a strong pitch against the divisive issue of ‘triple talaq’, insisting that the exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them.talaq’, insisting that the exploitation of Muslim women should end and justice be done to them. Modi had, however, deprecated any attempt at creating a “conflict” within the Muslim community on the issue and suggested tackling it through social awareness.

Guest