Representational Image
The Gujarat government on Friday, February 20, announced it plans to amend rules framed under the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, making parents’ consent a must for registration.
Speaking in the Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi stressed the need for new norms, alleging that “innocent girls are being trapped” and such practices were spreading “like termites” in society.
Referring “love jihad,” he said it amounted to a “cultural invasion” and asserted that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government could no longer ignore the issue. He said the amendments are aimed at strengthening safeguards in the registration process. “If any Salim changes his identity and becomes Suresh to trap innocent girls, he will be taught a lesson for life,” he said in the Assembly.
The Deputy Chief Minister’s office shared a document detailing the proposed procedure for marriage registration under the amended rules.
Under the proposed rules, every marriage registration application must be submitted before the Assistant Registrar, along with a declaration stating whether the bride and groom have their parents’ consent. Applicants will also be required to provide the names, addresses, Aadhaar numbers and contact details of both sets of parents.
Once the Assistant Registrar is satisfied, the parents will be informed within 10 working days, following which the application will be forwarded to the Registrar of the concerned district or taluka. The marriage will then be registered 30 days after the Registrar confirms that all requirements have been met. All details will be uploaded by the Registrar to an online portal to be created by the government.
The government’s decision is a blatant disregard for the authority of India’s top courts, including the Gujarat High Court. Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees the protection of life and personal liberty. The Supreme Court expanded its meaning to include the freedom to choose a partner without external interference.
On February 16, the Gujarat High Court allowed a 16-year-old girl to stay under government care. She refused to go back to her parents, who refused her relationship with a boy of her choice. Although the couple were ready to wait till they became adults, the parents did not agree.
In 2021, the Supreme Court upheld its 2018 order stating it is an individual’s right to marry a person of one’s own choice as well as the right to choose a religion. The consent of a family member or a community is not necessary for adults to marry. The top court had directed police to bring guidelines and programmes to train police personnel on such sensitive cases.
The Delhi High Court, in 2009, and the Allahabad High Court, in 2021, struck down the mandatory 30-day public notice under the Special Marriage Act, stating it was an invasion of the couple’s privacy, including from their families.
(With PTI inputs)
This post was last modified on February 21, 2026 11:30 pm