This Article is From Mar 21, 2012

Centre clarifies stand on gay sex before Supreme Court

Centre clarifies stand on gay sex before Supreme Court
New Delhi: After the Supreme Court slammed the Centre for taking a casual approach in the gay case, the Centre today clarified before the court its stand on homosexuality, saying there is no error in decriminalisation of gay sex.

Attorney General G E Vahanvati told the Supreme Court that the Delhi High Court verdict decriminalising homosexuality is acceptable to the Centre.

"We accept the reasoning of the High Court on consensual sex between two adults in private. This is the stand of the Centre. The Cabinet accepted the Group of Ministers' recommendation of not appealing against the High Court verdict," he said.

Mr Vahanvati also disowned the statement made by the Additional Solicitor General PP Malhotra opposing the gay judgment in the High Court saying it is not the stand of the Home Ministry.

"The Additional Solicitor General had appeared in the High court for the Ministry of Home Affairs. He appeared in the Supreme Court but there has been some miscommunication. Whatever Mr Malhotra said is not the stand of the Home Ministry," Mr Vahanvati said.

The Supreme Court asked the Attorney General, "You mean to say that the affidavit filed before High court by MHA is incorrect? Is it a subsequent enlightenment?" To this, Mr Vahanvati replied, "Yes. When we see the verdict we learnt from it."

The Attorney General will address the court later.

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