2 min readMay 6, 2026 06:40 AM IST
First published on: May 6, 2026 at 06:40 AM IST
The controversial Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha along with the six official amendments. A major section of the opposition pressed for a division on the amendment moved by many of them. But all the amendments were overwhelmingly voted out (370 to 61) with just one abstention, whereupon most opposition members staged a walk-out.
Efforts on to solve Akali crisis
As the Akali Dal dissidents lay low, the Punjab CM, Surjit Singh Barnala, gained some more ground with Kulwant Singh Quadian, the Akali MLA who had signed the dissidents’ statement denouncing the police action, pledging support to Barnala.
Amendment to Muslim Bill
The Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Divorce) Bill, passed by the Lok Sabha through an official amendment, gives the choice of seeking protection under sections 125 to 128 of the CrPC to the husband and wife. Accordingly, the amendment introduced by the Law Minister, Asoke Kumar Sen, seeks to insert the following sentence: “4A. If, on the date of the first hearing of the application under sub-section (2) of Section 3, a divorced woman and her former husband declare by affidavit or any other declaration in writing in such form as may be prescribed, either jointly or separately, that they would prefer to be governed by the provisions of Sections 125 to 128 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, and file such affidavit or declaration, the magistrate shall dispose of such application accordingly.”
Tokyo summit for East-West
Leaders of the seven main industrialised democracies called for a “high level dialogue” to settle East-West differences while vowing to maintain “strong and credible” military capability in the Western alliance.
