Key ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Smriti Irani and Prakash Javadekar among others attend function hosted by Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi
New Delhi: The BJP’s attempts to woo Muslim women were on full display at the Iftar party organised by Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Wednesday, where majority of the participants were victims of Triple Talaq.
Asked why the BJP government had chosen to throw a party exclusively for women, Naqvi said, “Nobody does anything for women, which is why we’ve kept Iftar for them alone.”
While the BJP has often dismissed Iftar parties as symbols of minority appeasement, it has made an exception for Naqvi’s party. Key ministers including Ravi Shankar Prasad, Smriti Irani, Prakash Javadekar, Harsh Vardhan, Jitendra Singh and M.J. Akbar were present at the event.
Their presence only underscored the belief that the government was using the function as an opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to bringing a law criminalising the Triple Talaq. The Centre has filed an affidavit, opposing the unilateral divorce among Muslims, in the Supreme Court.
“Why is it that despite a Supreme Court ruling and the Lok Sabha passing the Triple Talaq Bill, men are still giving Triple Talaq?” asked Union Minister for Law Ravi Shankar Prasad. He also urged opposition leaders such as Sonia Gandhi, Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee to do something in this regard as women leaders.
Not all present convinced
Yet, not all women present at the party shared the BJP’s views on the subject. “We’ve come here because Naqviji has done a lot for us…but that doesn’t mean we agree with everything he does,” said Shakeela, who hails from Delhi. “We will not tolerate any interference with the Shariat, be it for Triple Talaq or anything else,” she said.
Another woman joined her. “It doesn’t matter what the law says…if our husband says Triple Talaq to us, we’ll leave him, instead of taking him to jail,” she said. “We have come here because Naqvi ji has given us respect… but we are clear, you let us follow our faith in peace.”
The government’s attempt to criminalise Triple Talaq has been resisted by not just conservative Muslims, but several women’s rights groups that accuse the government of communalising the issue.