Ghaziabad/Lucknow, Feb 5 (PTI): The Centre is likely to take "a major step" to ban triple talaq after the ongoing Assembly polls, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said and dared Samajwadi Party, Congress and BSP to make their stand clear on the contentious issue.

Insisting that the issue is not related to religion but involves respect and dignity of women, he said the government "respects faith but worship and social evil cannot co-exist".

He said the tradition of triple talaq denies respect for women and the central government is committed to end the "evil social practice".

"The government may take a major step to ban triple talaq after the UP Assembly polls," he said while addressing a press conference in Ghaziabad last evening.

The Assembly polls being held in UP and four other states will conclude on March 11.
Asserting that "every pernicious practice" cannot be part of a religion, the minister, who is a lawyer himself, said the Centre would raise the issue in the Supreme Court on three points -- justice, equality and dignity of women.

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

"The government respects faith but worship and social evil cannot co-exist," he said.

Addressing a press conference in Lucknow today, the union minister 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."

Attacking BSP, he said it should rise above caste politics and respect women.
Referring to the SP-Congress coalition 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.