New Delhi: On Wednesday, the winter session has resumed after New Year break. All eyes will be on the proceedings of both the Houses of Parliament.
Heated arguments are on cards as The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage), popularly called the 'Triple Talaq Bill' is scheduled to be tabled in the Rajya Sabha.
In the Lok Sabha, excitement could be more as the Congress floor leader Mallikarjun Kharge has told the House on December 31, just before the House was adjourned, that his party is ready for discussions on Rafale jet fighter deal with France.
Until now, the Congress had continued to disrupt proceedings in Lok Sabha and at times even the Upper House demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee to probe the deal. But on Monday, Mr Kharge said he and his party colleagues would accept the 'challenge' and debate the issue after Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the principal opposition party was running away from a debate.
Amid much interruption, Mr Kharge had said: "They (the Government) are ready to discuss it (on Rafale) and because they have challenged us, we have accepted the challenge...You should fix the issue. We are ready to discuss it," he urged the Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
In a media interview on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said: "Triple Talaq is not a religion issue. This is about gender justice. Several Islamic nations have banned it". Sounding critical of the Congress approach to the issue, Mr Modi also said:"....for years there was no determined effort to end Triple Talaq".
The fresh draft law - after it was stalled in the Rajya Sabha last year - was passed by the Lok Sabha yet again on December 27 amid a walkout by the Opposition. The Bill makes all declarations of instant triple talaq void and illegal. It seeks to make the practice a punishable offence with imprisonment of three years.