After Ishrat Jahan, Shayara Bano, another triple talaq petitioner joins BJP

In October 2015, 36-year-old Shayara Bano was divorced by her husband, Rizwan Ahmed via a letter when she was visiting her parents. He even took away her kids aged 11 and 13. Hailing from Uttarakhand, Bano led the crusade against the instant triple talaq which led to the landmark Supreme Court judgement last year which outlawed instant triple talaq. On Friday, Bano joined the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP), making her the second of the five petitioners in the triple talaq case to join the saffron camp after Ishrat Jahan who also joined the BJP earlier this year.

Bano’s induction into the BJP got mixed reactions with the BJP hailing the move claiming this sends out a message to those who think the BJP is anti-Muslim party. As per reports, she will be formally welcomed into the party at a ceremony in Delhi this month end.

Bano, who hails from Hempur Daya in Uttarakhand, was reportedly also tormented for dowry and accused her in-laws of forcing her to undergo 6 abortions with an alleged intention of killing her.

On 26 February, 2016 she filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the practice of triple talaq, halala and polygamy. This prompted the Modi government to file a petition against triple talaq based on her petition. Her petition wanted the court to strike down those Islamic practices on the premise that they violated the Articles 14, 15, 21 and 25 of the constitution.

Article 14 pertains to right to equality, article 15 states that there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, article 21 deals with the protection of life, personal liberty and article 25 deals with freedom of practice and propagation of religion.

Shayara’s petition wasn’t welcomed by the Islamic lawmakers and All India Muslim Personal Board (AIMPLB), some clerics reportedly asked her to withdraw her petition. She also left her native place Kashipur and went on the move to avoid undue pressure on her.

Bano said she has joined the BJP because it was support of Prime Minister Narendra Modi because of which they (triple talaq petitioners) got justice. Earlier, Ishrat Jahan, another petitioner in the case, too joined the BJP since it ‘supported the cause she was fighting for’.