Gandhinagar: The Bharatiya Janata Party government in Gujarat has proposed an “anti-love jihad” amendment to marriage registration rules that would require couples to notify their parents before registering for cohabitation – a move that has been welcomed by AP but met with silence from the Congress and flagged as a potential unconstitutionality by legal experts.Couples seeking to register their marriage must submit an undertaking stating whether they have notified their parents, according to draft rules tabled in Parliament on Friday. The Assistant Registrar will notify the parents of the bride and groom electronically, including via WhatsApp or through physical communication.Registration will be approved within 30 days of verification and all submitted details will be uploaded to the government portal. Deputy Minister Harsh Sangavi, who introduced the proposed reforms, said the government was not opposed to “love marriages” but could not allow deception in the name of mutual consent. “Innocent girls are trapped and this practice is spreading like termites in society. Salim impersonating Suresh will not be allowed,” he said. Citing an incident in Panchmahal district, Sanghavi said an inquiry was ordered after nikah certificates were allegedly issued in villages where there were no mosques or even Muslim families. Sangavi said hundreds of such certificates were allegedly issued by talati-cum-mantris (village panchayat secretaries) in villages such as Kankodakui and Nathkuva. In Parliament, AAP legislator Hemant Ahir, who had introduced a similar private member’s bill earlier this week, congratulated the government for bringing in the proposed amendments. “The rule change is the need of the hour. There are some loopholes in the rules,” he said. BJP MLA Lavingji Thakor, a staunch supporter of stricter norms, said the move would benefit families from all communities. Congress remained silent. Some community organizations, including those representing the Patidar and Kshatriya Thakor groups, have long urged parents to make love marriages compulsory. Representatives from the state government and various organizations have held as many as 30 meetings over the past three months to finalize the changes. Legal experts say the proposal may not stand up to judicial scrutiny. “This is a violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution,” said advocate Mahesh Baria. Advocate Nilesh Bhavsar said that while the government described the measure as merely suggestive, parent opposition could influence enrollment decisions, leading to litigation.
