Union Law Minister Sadananda Gowda rejected the reports of reconsideration on Section 377, saying that he has been misquoted and added that he never mentioned scrapping the section.
“It is totally misquoted. When I was asked about the judgment that was given by the US court, I said that it is not an easy task in our country. So, the people of that country might have accepted it but here it has to be widely debated. Only then can something be done. Otherwise, it is not an easy task. So, we have no idea of scrapping or doing anything about [Section] 377,” Gowda said.
“Of course, there was a debate with regards to the transgender issue on the floor of the House in the Rajya Sabha. That has been discussed and debated. Nothing else was said,” he added.
The clarification from the minister came just a day after reports quoted him as indicating that India could move towards abolishing Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises ‘unnatural sex’, paving way for the recognition of homosexual rights in the country.
