‘Inform parents’: Gujarat may tweak marriage norms | India News
Gandhinagar: Gujarat’s BJP government has proposed ‘anti-love jihad’ amendments to marriage registration rules to require couples to inform their parents before registering their union – a move welcomed by the AAP, met with silence from the Congress and labeled by legal experts as a potential constitutional violation.Under draft rules introduced in the Assembly on Friday, couples who want to register their marriage will have to submit an undertaking that they have informed their parents. The Assistant Registrar will notify the parents of both the bride and groom electronically through WhatsApp or through physical contact.Registration will be granted within 30 days of verification, all details submitted will be uploaded on a government portal. Deputy CM Harsh Sanghvi, who introduced the proposed changes, said the government had nothing against “love marriages” but could not allow cheating in the name of mutual consent. “Innocent girls are being trapped and such practices are spreading like termites in the society. Salim Suresh’s image will not be allowed,” he said. Citing the example of Panchmahal district, Sanghvi said the inquiry was ordered after Nikah certificates were allegedly issued in villages where there was no mosque or even a single Muslim family. In villages like Kankodakui and Nathkua, hundreds of certificates are allegedly issued by talati-cum-mantri (village panchayat secretary), Sanghavi said. In the Assembly, AAP MLA Hemant Ahir, who had moved a private member’s bill on the same lines earlier in the week, congratulated the government for introducing the proposed amendments. “Change in rules was the need of the hour. There were several loopholes in the rules,” he said. BJP MLA Lovingji Thakur, a strong proponent of stricter rules, said the move would benefit families from all communities. Congress remained silent. A number of community organizations, including those representing the Patidar and Kshatriya Tagore groups, have long pushed for mandatory parental involvement in love marriages. In the last three months, more than 30 meetings have been held between the state government and representatives of various agencies to finalize the changes. Legal experts said the proposal may not stand judicial scrutiny. “It violates the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution,” said advocate Mahesh Baria. Fellow advocate Nilesh Bhavsar said while the government described the system as a mere beginning, objections from parents could influence the registration decision, leading to litigation.
