TMC MP slams govt over notification requiring divorce decree, husband's NOC for using maiden surname

Gokhale termed it as 'another shameless display of misogyny' and said that he would do everything as an MP to see that the rule is withdrawn.

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Saket Gokhale on Thursday slammed the Union government over a notification which requires married women to furnish a divorce decree or a 'No Objection Certificate' (NOC) from husband to use their maiden name.

The undated notification, published by the Department of Publication of the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, also said that a copy of ID proof must be attached to the NOC along with the mobile number, and if the divorce matter is in the court of law, the change of name of the applicant cannot be processed till the final verdict is pronounced.

Gokhale termed it as 'another shameless display of misogyny' and said he would do everything as an MP to see that the rule is withdrawn.

"What the hell is 'husband's permission' for a woman choosing to change her own name? I've written to the Controller of Publications demanding to know the grounds on which this decision was taken and why these new misogynist rules were introduced," he said.

A petition against the notification was filed in the Delhi High Court, which last week sought the Centre's response on the issue.

"Modi's claim of 'Naari Shakti' is a SHAM as we've been seeing every day. As an MP, I'll do everything I can to ensure that this misogynist rule is struck down and withdrawn," Gokhale added.

The TMC Rajya Sabha MP has written to the Controller of Publication over the issue.

In his letter dated March 1, Gokhale said this requirement is not only misogynist but is also discriminatory against women who should have the complete right to change their name to whatever they wish.

"It is absolutely shocking as to why a woman needs to be divorced or, worse, have an NOC from her husband, if she wishes to change her surname back to her maiden name. With this requirement, you're brazenly discriminating against women who are separated (and will neither have a divorce decree or NOC from husband)," he said.

"Further, it is unimaginable as to why the husband of a woman should have any say and why should the husband's permission be needed if a woman wishes to change her own name," he wrote in the letter.

Last week, a bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet PS Arora issued notice on the petition challenging the notification and asked the central government to file its response within four weeks.

The plea said the notification violates the right to privacy as it mandates divorced women to submit a copy of the decree of divorce and married women to obtain a no objection certificate from their spouse if they wished to adopt their maiden surname. The matter would be heard next on May 28.