Centre committed to ending triple talaq: Ravi Shankar

Lucknow: The Centre is committed to ending the "evil social practice" of triple talaq, Union law minister and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said Sunday and asked Samajwadi Party, Congress and BSP to make their stand clear on the contentious issue.

"The government respects faith but worship and social evil cannot coexist," he said.

"I want Akhilesh Yadav, Rahul Gandhi and Mayawati to clarify their stand on the issue of triple talaq. Our (BJP's) stand is very clear. The issue is not related to religion but involves respect and dignity of women," Prasad said at a press conference here.

"We are the only party which respects women. Neither do other parties offer a good place to women nor do they respect them," the BJP leader claimed.

Speaking at a press conference in Ghaziabad yesterday, he had said the Centre might take appropriate steps to ban triple talaq after the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections as the tradition denies respect to women.

Prasad had said, "every pernicious practice" cannot be part of a religion and the Centre would raise the issue in the Supreme Court on three points -- justice, equality and dignity of women.

Referring to the SP-Congress alliance in Uttar Pradesh, he said, "This is an alliance of desperation between two dynastic parties... alliance of desperation between crime, criminals and corruption."

Ridiculing the pre-poll tie-up, he claimed the "confluence of Ganga and Yamuna" will end up with one party merging with the other after the polls.

"Which party will merge with which party will be seen after the polls. This is nothing but a theatre of the absurd," the BJP leader said.

He also touched upon the salient features of BJP's manifesto and the Union Budget and explained how it would help the poor.

Yesterday, while speaking to mediapersons in Ghaziabad, Prasad had alleged that Samajwadi Party and Congress have entered an alliance as both parties "indulge in corruption, crime and loot".

"Both parties are opportunist and have tied-up with each other just to stop the landslide victory of BJP," he claimed.

Not a single big industry was established in Uttar Pradesh during the tenure of Akhilesh Yadav-led SP government, the BJP leader alleged, adding the funds sanctioned by the Centre for the development of the state has not just due to the feud within the Yadav family.