India | Updated Jun 28, 2009 at 02:12pm IST

Govt may repeal IPC section on homosexuality

Press Trust Of India

New Delhi: The Centre is considering repealing a controversial section of the penal law which criminalises homosexuality.

A meeting will be convened soon for evolving a consensus on repealing Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, official sources said.

The meeting to be chaired by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will discuss the controversial section of the IPC which bans sexual relationships among people of the same gender, official sources added.

While Chidambaram and Law Minister Veerappa Moily are understood to be in favour of repealing the provision of the IPC, the response of Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is awaited.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had asked the ministries of Home and Health to resolve the differences over the issues and give a comprehensive response to the Delhi High Court, which is hearing a petition challenging arrests under the law.

Former home minister Shivraj Patil and former health minister Anbumani Ramadoss had taken divergent stand on the issue before the court.

Terming the matter as “serious”, the High Court had directed the Government to sort out the matter at the earliest.

(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)

Comments (4)

All comments will be published after moderation

Trending Searches

#Hansie Cronje #Nitin Gadkari #Tobacco #Virgin Galactic #Indian Railways #Mahesh Bhupathi #Air India #Viswanathan Anand #Multiple sclerosis #Narendra Modi #Nitin Gadkari #Naveen Patnaik #Narendra Modi #Jagan #Bharat Bandh #Andhra Pradesh #VK Singh #Saudi Arabia #Goa