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| By Parul Rawat |
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Thursday, September 17, 2009 (17:07:11) |
| Tags : social issue, homosexuality, Ambika Soni, Manomohan Singh |
Government takes no stand on decriminalising homosexuality |
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New Delh: The government today said that it will neither support nor oppose the Delhi High Court's order of announcing homosexuality among consenting adults as legal. The union government also added that it is apex court's right to announce the final verdict on the issue. Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni told media in a assemblage of the union cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Manomohan Singh, that the report of the group of minister has been considered by the cabinet and they have arrived at the conclusion to order the attorney general to help the apex court in every aspect in formulating an opinion on the Delhi High Court's judgement.
Soni confirmed that the government cannot take a stand on the ideal way out on the conflicting issue.
The judiciary cited Jawaharlal Nehru, in the historic verdict by the Delhi High Court, to accentuate on the fact that out constitution assures equal rights to all the citizens. Attorney General Goolam E. Vahanvati expressed his opinion on government's lack of interest in opposing the verdict, following which the apex court dismissed his plea to reject the high court's declaration.
Ambika Soni maintained that the GoM (group of ministers) report is limited to the cabinet and did not respond to whether the Cabinet decision on not taking any action was arrived at on the basis of the assemblage of the group of ministers or not. The note remarked that there was no legal fault in the Delhi High Court's decision which also rejected the disciplinary norms formulated at the time of British government. She said that the home ministry will be formulating a statement very soon on the issue.
The lawsuit was filed by Delhi-based astrologer-cum-advocate Suresh Kaushal, following which a bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan issued orders to the union and Delhi governments, including seven others, and asked them to pursue their respective viewpoints by July 20.
Homosexuality was characterized as unnatural sex and was considered offensive with life imprisonment charged under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860. |
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