“There may not be any justification for secluding Sikhs from the rest of the categories (covered by the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955) as such a step would invite similar demands from other religious denominations. It is against the directive principles in Article 44 of the Constitution which aims at bringing in a Uniform Civil Code,” Law Minister Salman Khurshid said in reply to a query by Shiromani Akali Dal MP Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa in Rajya Sabha.

The Centre’s move to enact a separate Act for Sikh marriages drew criticism from different quarters with various Sikh bodies terming it as “anti-Sikh”, while SAD said it will take up the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and raise it in Parliament.

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal reacted strongly to the government’s decision and called it a “breach of trust” by the Centre, as the former law minister M Veerappa Moily had assured the draft bill for Sikh Marriage Act was ready and would be sent for Cabinet approval soon before being placed in Parliament.

The marriages performed under Sikh religious rights are registered either under the Hindu Marriage Act or the Special Marriage Act.

The proposal was that under the Special Marriage Act, which was to be amended, provision for the registration of marriages performed according to the Anand Marriage Act of 1909 shall also be incorporated.

“We will meet Law Minister Salman Khurshid and also the Prime Minister to demand that the proposal should be cleared and also raise the issue in Parliament. The Sikh Marriage Act has been a long-standing demand of the community that has been fighting for an amendment to the Anand Marriage Act passed by the British in 1909,’’ Dhindsa said.

Under the Sikh Marriage Act, there was to be a special provision for registration of marriages performed under Sikh religious rights.

In his reply, Khurshid said the Hindu Marriage Act also provides for marriages among Sikhs and certain other religious denominations including Hindus, Buddhists, Jains and other persons who are not Muslims, Christians, Parsis or Jews and its Section 8 provides for registration of such marriages, including those of the Sikhs.

Badal questioned the very rationale behind the rejection of this proposal and said the only probable reason for dropping the Bill was it was related to the Sikh community.

Badal said the comprehensive enactment of a separate Sikh Marriage Act by amending Anand Karaj Act, 1909 would go a long way in curbing the malpractice of deserting brides of Sikh community.