New Delhi, September 10: The Union Cabinet on Thursday is likely to discuss on the suggestion of a three-member ministerial group, which does not want to oppose Delhi High Court judgement decriminalising gay sex.
The Cabinet note says that the three ministries — Home, Health and Law — have agreed to the document circulated by the Law Ministry suggesting that the judgement in the Supreme Court should not be opposed, official sources said.
They said the matter would be left to the Supreme Court to decide as it was hearing several petitions including those by religious groups.
Before finalising the note for the Union Cabinet, Home Minister P Chidambaram, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and Law Minister M Veerappa Moily had held series of meetings to arrive at a conclusion on the issue.
The Supreme Court had on August 17 sought a response from the government on petitions filed by a Christian body and a disciple of Yoga guru Ramdev seeking a stay on the Delhi High Court verdict legalising gay sex on the ground it will have a catastrophic effect on the society’s moral fabric. The matter will again come up for hearing on September 14.
Earlier, during the hearing of the case before the HC, while the home ministry strongly opposed any move to dilute Section 377, the health ministry took the opposite stand, supporting the contention of the petitioner that consensual, same gender sex be decriminalised.
The law ministry supported the home ministry’s stand. PM Manmohan Singh had then led the Cabinet in asking the three ministers to sit together and resolve the differences. After the return of the UPA to power, the home, law and health ministers held meetings to discuss the issue.
–Agencies