The Modi government on Monday sought an adjournment of petitions on same-sex marriage in the Delhi High Court, citing there were more urgent matters to be heard at a time the country is dealing with COVID-19, media reports said. The government attorney told the high court as quoted by The Indian Express, "Nobody is dying because they don’t have a marriage certificate.”

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing the Centre, submitted before the court, "As a government, our focus in terms of urgency is on urgent, imminent issues."

Senior advocate Saurabh Kirpal, who was representing some of the petitioners, urged the government to be neutral.

In one of the many petitioners, psychiatrist Dr. Kavita Arora and therapist Ankita Khanna sought the enforcement of the fundamental right to choose a partner after their application of the solemnisation of marriage was rejected by a marriage officer in the national capital Delhi.

The application was rejected citing both are of same-sex.

(SAM)