New Delhi: The government on Wednesday conceded in Parliament that Muslim organisations were not consulted before it framed a draft bill to criminalise the practice of instant triple talaq.

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha that the Government believed that the proposed bill would help ensure gender justice, gender equality and dignity of women.

The government has maintained that since the practice of instant triple talaq or ‘talaq-e-biddat’ continues despite the Supreme Court striking it down, there is a need to bring a law.

To another written question in Lok Sabha on whether the Government consulted Muslim organisatons before framing the draft law, Minster of State for Law P.P. Chaudhary replied in the negative.

In a separate written reply, Mr Prasad said, “the government is of the view that the issue arises from the humanitarian concept of gender justice, gender equality and dignity of women and not arising from faith and religion.”

He said that since the Supreme Court struck down the practice of instant triple talaq, nearly 66 cases of husbands divorcing their spouses through this method were reported.

On December 15, the Union Cabinet cleared the Muslim Women Protection of Rights on Marriage Bill, which seeks to make the practice of instant triple talaq “illegal and void” and provides for a jail term for the husband.

The husband could also be fined and the quantum of fine would be decided by the magistrate hearing the case.