Union Ministers meet Muslim women

Union Ministers Smriti Irani, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Bhupendra Yadav held a meeting with a group of Muslim women on Sunday, which was observed as “Muslim Women Rights Day” to mark the second anniversary of the enactment of the law against triple talaq.

The Ministers also interacted with several women who were victims of triple talaq.

Big reform: Naqvi

Mr. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister for Minority Affairs, said the law against triple talaq had proved to be a “big reform” to ensure constitutional rights for Muslim women, according to a statement by his Ministry.

Also read: About 82% decline in triple talaq cases since law enacted by Modi govt: Naqvi

Mr. Bhupender Yadav, Minister for Labour and Employment, was quoted as saying the government’s decision to provide quota for the OBCs and the economically backward sections in medical/dental studies would also benefit the poor sections of Muslims.

‘Mere optics’

Over 650 citizens — Muslim and non-Muslim women, men and transpersons, women rights activists, human rights activists, academics, students and hundreds of citizens issued a strong statement ‘rejecting’ the gesture as mere “optics during an unprecedented onslaught against the rights of the Muslims under the present government”.

“This government has remained silent as Muslims have been lynched… The BJP, both at the Centre and through its State governments, has determinedly “gone after” Muslims under myriad laws, both old, new and proposed — beef bans, anti-conversion including the recent Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020, and its proposed U.P. Population Control Bill. Such a government has no moral right to declare any national day in the name of Muslim women.”

The signatories include Farah Naqvi, writer and activist; Syeda Hameed, former NCW member, Ayesha Kidwai, JNU Professor; Mohini Giri, former NCW Chairperson; Hasina Khan, Bebaak Collective; and Subhashini Ali, All India Democratic Women’s Association, among others.