India's National Commission for Women announced Wednesday it would seek a Supreme Court ruling on divorce practices among Muslims.
The commission's chairperson, Poornima Advani, said the decision was prompted by a recent case of a man who divorced his wife by telephone in Mumbai, and another incident in a local village where a man divorced his wife by repeating the word "talaq," or divorce, three times while under the influence of liquor, the Hindu reported Wednesday.
Indian laws on marriage and divorce differ according to the citizens' religion. Muslim law gives the man the right to divorce his wife instantly simply by pronouncing the word "talaq" three times. Women do not share the same privilege.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board has proclaimed that the triple talaq is a social evil, but it is equally assertive that it should not be removed by legislative reform.
Maulana Sayed Rabey Al-Hasani Naqvi, the board president, said, "Our laws are based on divine inspiration and triple talaq comes from the same inspiration ... we have no power to amend or abolish it."