Rahul thwarted passage of triple talaq bill: Ananth Kumar
New Delhi, Aug 10 : After the triple talaq bill could not be taken up in the Rajya Sabha on Friday, the government blamed Congress President Rahul Gandhi for thwarting passage of the bill.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Ananth Kumar said even though the bill could not be taken up in the monsoon session, the government would keep on trying to protect the interests of Muslim women.
"We will keep the struggle on. Congress President Rahul Gandhi and his party are directly responsible for delaying the passage of the bill. They have blocked it from day one. They unnecessarily raised the issue of sending the bill to the select committee," Kumar told reporters outside the Parliament.
However, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi said her party's position is absolutely clear on the bill.
"Our party's position is absolutely clear on this. I will not say anything on this further," said Sonia Gandhi on the Triple Talaq bill.
"In Lok Sabha, there was absolute consensus when it was passed. Congress and other parties were also part of the discussion there. There was no division there. Then why they are blocking it in Rajya Sabha? This is the double standard of the Congress party ... they do something in Lok Sabha and the opposite in Rajya Sabha," he said, adding this is the true face of the Congress party.
"This is an injustice done to crores of Muslim women. Triple Talaq is a big issue of gender justice. I would urge the Congress to understand it and pass the bill with a consensus," Kumar said.
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 has been deferred to the next session of Parliament as the Rajya Sabha decided to not take it up on Friday, the last day of the monsoon session, Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu announced.
In the evening, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad insisted that the bill be taken up, but the Chairman said he would not proceed without a consensus on the issue.
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Delhi records high of 32.7 deg C; AQI remains 'moderate'
New Delhi (PTI): The maximum temperature in Delhi settled at 32.7 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the seasonal average, according to the India Meteorological Department.
The minimum temperature was recorded at 20.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday, 1.3 notches below the average for the season, while the relative humidity stood at 46 per cent at 5.30 pm, the IMD said.
The weather department has forecast a partly cloudy sky for Monday with the maximum and minimum temperatures expected to hover around 34 and 19 degrees Celsius, respectively.
The air quality remained 'moderate' at 4 pm, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) reading of 134, a slight drop from Saturday’s 137, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data showed.
According to the CPCB, an AQI between zero and 50 is considered 'good', 51 and 100 'satisfactory', 101 and 200 'moderate', 201 and 300 'poor', 301 and 400 'very poor', and 401 and 500 'severe'.
