- Summary- Supreme Court to hear gay marriage case in January- Four gay couples say denied basic fundamental rights- Modi government has opposed same-sex marriage- Case seen as key test for Modi governmentNEW DELHI, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Four gay couples have asked India's Supreme Court to recognise same-sex marriages, setting the stage for a legal face-off with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government which has in the past refused to legalise such marriages.LGBT activists say that while 2018 ruling affirmed their constitutional rights, they are still deprived of legal backing for same-sex marriages, a basic right enjoyed by heterosexual married couples.It is a sensitive subject in the socially conservative country of 1.4 billion people, where speaking openly about homosexuality is taboo for many."Same-sex marriage will cause havoc with the delicate balance of personal laws in the country...two judges cannot take a decision on this social issue," said Sushil Modi, a member of parliament from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Three spokespersons for Modi's BJP, who declined to be named as the matter is before courts, said the party's opposition to same-sex marriage remains the same as the government's."