Triple talaq crusader Najia Ilahi Khan joined the state BJP today in presence of BJP president Dilip Ghosh and BJP leader Mukul Roy. Earlier Ishrat Jahan, one of the petitioners in the triple talaq case also joined the BJP.

Speculations are rife that advocate Khan could be the Lok Sabha bypoll candidate from Uluberia Parliament constituency.

BJP president Dilip Ghosh today said chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her party instead of concentrating on development issue for the minority community is playing appeasement politics rather.

Ms Khan complimented Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for waging a fight for the dignity and rights of Muslim women and said the Bill against the practice of triple talaq was a big boost to all the muslim women who are fighting for their self respect and unalienable civil rights.

Ghosh also today accused chief minister MamataBanerjee of practising ‘soft Hindutva’ to stop consolidation of ‘Hindu votes’ in favour of BJP. He said the TMC practices Muslim appeasement and it has started backfiring in several parts of the state.

“If we go to temple we are branded as communal. But if Trinamul leaders visit temples, they are secular.

“The Trinamul is practising soft Hindutva in Bengal to stop the consolidation of Hindu votes in favour of BJP,” Ghosh said.

Another BJP senior leader expressed hope that the joining of Ishrat and Khan into the party will rejuvenate minority women which will also strengthen the vote bank of the BJP.
Ishrat was one of the five petitioners who approached the apex court in the triple talaq case. Her husband had divorced her over phone from Dubai in 2014 by uttering ‘talaq’ thrice.
The controversial Islamic practice was struck down by the Supreme Court on 22 August last year and had ordered the Centre to frame appropriate laws for the same within 6 months.
The government has introduced The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha which was also passed by the lower house after a detailed discussion.
The Bill makes the pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat “void and illegal.” The Bill entails jail term for upto three years and fine in case anyone pronounces triple talaq on his wife. This Bill also makes the pronouncement of talaq-e-biddat a non-bailable offence.

The Bill will be introduced in Rajya Sabha this week and after assent of the upper house will be subsequently sent for the President’s approval.

However, a senior BJP leader said the central leadership will take the final decision to fix the candidate for Uluberia Parliamentary constituency. Trinamul selected the wife of the former MP Sultan Ahmed as the candidate from Uluberia Parliamentary constituency.