Rajya Sabha adjourns sine die, triple talaq and citizenship Bills to lapse

The controversial triple talaq and citizenship Bills, passed by Lok Sabha, will lapse with Rajya Sabha being adjourned sine die on Wednesday.

Prior to the adjournment, the House passed the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address, 2019-20 interim budget 2019-20 and appropriation bill without any debate.

Due to the adjournment of the Upper House, The Musilm Women (Protection of Rights on Marrrige) Bill and The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which have generated much heat, will lapse. The Bills were passed in Lok Sabha and were scheduled to be introduced in Rajya Sabha.

General elections are due in May.

According to the Rajya Sabha Legislative Procedure, a Bill pending in the Upper House which has not been passed by Lok Sabha does not lapse on the dissolution of the Lower House. But a Bill which is passed by Lok Sabha and is pending in Rajya Sabha stands lapsed on the dissolution of Lok Sabha.

Following disruption by Samajwadi Party members in Rajya Sabha and its subsequent adjournment on Tuesday, sources had said that the Centre was considering extending the current session of the Upper House of Parliament by a couple of days.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which was passed in Lok Sabha on January 8, seeks to provide citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India before December 31, 2014.

Attempts by the government to introduce the Bill in Rajya Sabha in the past six weeks were thwarted by the Opposition which sought it be referred to a Select Committee.

The passage of the Bill in Lok Sabha has led to widespread protests in the North East.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) were imposed in East and West Imphal districts ahead of the proposed tabling of citizenship Bill in Rajya Sabha.

The triple talaq Bill was passed in Lok Sabha on December 27 last year with 245 votes in favour and 11 against it.

The Opposition parties want the Bill to be sent to a Select Committee of Parliament for further vetting, a demand rejected by the Centre. However, an ordinance was re-promulgated in January this year as the revised Bill could not be passed in Rajya Sabha where the government lacks majority.

The Bill criminalises the practice of instant triple talaq with a provision of three years imprisonment to the erring husband.

-ANI