The Indian government sought to clarify its views on homosexuality on Tuesday, saying it ‘fully’ backed a 2009 court order decriminalising gay sex despite the objections of a top state lawyer last week.
During a hearing in the Supreme Court on last Thursday, additional solicitor general P.P. Malhotra had called gay sex ‘against nature’ in a submission that caused outrage among gay rights activists.
The home ministry later sought to disown the comments, causing confusion about the government's stance on the highly sensitive social issue.
On Tuesday, another additional solicitor general, Mohan Jain, stressed that his views were those of the government, which he said fully supported a Delhi High Court decision in 2009 to decriminalise gay sex.
"It's a government of India decision that there is no legal error in the judgment of the Delhi High Court," Mohan told the Supreme Court, which is hearing several appeals seeking to overturn the decriminalisation decision.
The 2009 judgment to overturn the colonial-era ban on gay sex was hailed by gay activists at the time as a major victory in their fight for equal rights and opportunities in the world's biggest democracy.
A conviction for gay sex carried a fine and maximum 10-year jail sentence. Prosecutions were rare, but activists said police used the law to harass and intimidate homosexuals.