Union Law Minister DV Sadanana Gowda on Tuesday said the issue of reversing a Supreme Court ruling which had upheld same-sex marriages in India as illegal is not pending before his ministry, remarks which come after the US' apex court legalised gay marital unions in that country.
He also maintained that a daily has misquoted him on the issue. "The reporter agreed that I have been misquoted on the issue," he said. Gowda reportedly told the newspaper that India could abolish Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalises gay liaisons and the legalisation of same-sex marriages could be considered.
Responding to a query on his reported remarks, he said, so far, no such issue has been brought before the Law Ministry. "Whenever the issue comes, then only we can go ahead after discussions...it is a very sensitive issue. It cannot be done so easily. No such issue has been brought before the Ministry of Law and Justice so far," he said here.
In December, 2013, the SC had set aside a 2009 Delhi High Court verdict that had effectively de-criminalised gay sex between consenting adults in private. The SC ruled that the lower court had overstepped its authority and the 1860 law was still valid. The previous UPA government had planned to challenge the ruling and had even contemplated an ordinance to reverse the ruling, but could not move ahead.
