BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy on Monday faced social media heat after his controversial comments on homosexuality.
Speaking to ANI, Swamy said, “As long as they don’t celebrate it, don’t flaunt it, don’t create gay bars to select partners it’s not a problem. In their privacy what they do, nobody can invade but if you flaunt it, it has to be punished & therefore there has to be Section 377 of the IPC.”
Swamy was reacting to the Supreme Court’s decision to revisit its 2013 order criminalising gay sex in India. A bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra decided to re-examine the top court’s earlier order upholding section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
“Our earlier order needs to be reconsidered,” said Justice Misrawas quoted by IANS.
The court order came on a petition by 10 individuals holding that IPC section 377 was “violative of fundamental rights under Article 14 (right to equality) and Article 21 (right to life)”.
The Supreme Court had earlier set aside a Delhi High Court verdict decriminalising the gay sex.
While referring the matter to a larger bench the court observed “what is natural to one may not be natural to others”.
Swamy’s comments were deemed regressive and in poor taste by many, who took to Twitter to slam the BJP MP.
So is this the @BJP4India official position on #Sec377, Mr Prime Minister @narendramodi ? Await your clarification. Thanks. @INCIndia https://t.co/Fmj6tMmQR5
— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) January 8, 2018
What a horribly regressive fellow he is
— subhashini ali (@SubhashiniAli) January 8, 2018
Sir this unacceptable, I thought you are progressive, but everything was a sham from the beginning.
— G Venkatesh (@UglyVenky) January 8, 2018
Strange argument by @Swamy39. Under right to privacy #section377 is irrelevant & a unenforceable law so why have such archaic Victorian era law which is contrary to our constitution & civilization #DecriminaliseHomosexuality
— Balaji Subramanian (@balajinodo78) January 8, 2018