By RINA,
New Delhi: Upholding the Delhi High Court verdict that homosexuality is no crime, Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily yesterday said, “The court has decided the case on the basis of adequate studies, documents and arguments.”
The verdict delivered recently deeply upset Indian ethos. There were loud voices of protests from almost all religions of the land. They demanded that article 377 of IPC, outlawing homosexuality, should not be tampered. Mr. Moily had said to amend the law before the HC verdict that says homosexuality is no crime.
Disregarding religious opinions, the law minister also expressed apprehension, “Article 377 may be misused in future. So, the law should not be allowed to become a means of harassment by officers.” Advocating the cause of eunuchs, a local organization in Delhi has been complaining about police behaviour.
“Article has been misused earlier too”, Mr. Moily admitted in an interview beamed at CNN-IBN TV channel. He further said, “We have a Constitution, yet laws running parallel to the Constitution have come into existence. There are many among such laws that do not pass the test of the Constitution.”
When asked during the interview, why the government did not appeal Supreme Court to issue stay orders against the HC verdict, the law minister replied, “Doing so would amount to violating right to freedom enshrined in the Constitution.”