ISLAMABAD: Indian opposition has slammed the Gujarat Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) government for the parental consent requirement under a newly proposed law.
In a post on X on Saturday, Dr Shama Mohamed, spokesperson for the Indian National Congress, criticized the newly proposed law by the Gujarat BJP government.
She highlighted that under the proposed amendment to the Gujarat Registration of Marriages Act, even adults seeking to marry would require parental consent.
Dr Mohamed questioned the constitutionality of such a measure, noting that while India is focusing on technological advancements such as AI, the BJP’s actions were taking society backward.
She further criticized the BJP for raising the issue of “Love Jihad” to divert attention from its inefficiencies, despite being in power in Gujarat for over 30 years.
The Gujarat government’s proposal, as reported by Indian media, introduces a significant overhaul to the state’s marriage registration process.
Announced by Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, the amendment mandates a multi-step verification system for marriage registrations.
‘Parental Declaration’
One of the most controversial features of this change is the "Parental Declaration" clause, requiring both the bride and groom to declare whether their parents are aware of the marriage.
This declaration will trigger a mandatory notification to the parents within 10 working days, using the contact details provided by the couple.
Furthermore, the proposed rules stipulate a 30-day waiting period before the final marriage certificate is issued.
During this time, all relevant marriage data, including photographs and witness details, will be uploaded to a state-run online portal.
The government insists the changes are based on feedback from various community groups, though the proposal is currently open for public feedback, with concerns about privacy and the potential discomfort of mandatory parental notifications still being debated, according to the Indian media report.
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