SC upheld values of equality, says Tharoor on Section 377 verdict

Welcoming the Supreme Court judgment on Section 377, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that the order has upheld the values of equality.

He further stated that the matter was not an issue of sex but of constitutional freedom.

Speaking to ANI, Tharoor said, "First of all, I welcome the Supreme Court's judgment and I think it is a right judgment to make. I feel particularly satisfied with the facts of the court as I myself advocated and raised the issue a few years ago. Rightly said, it is not the issue of sex but the issue of constitutional freedom."

"The Supreme Court has upheld the values of equality which should apply to all communities of our country," he added.

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India- Marxist (CPI-M) leader Brinda Karat also welcomed the apex court's order on Section 377 by terming it as 'historic'.

"It is a historic day. It is a historic judgement and victory for all those citizens of India who have suffered. It has been struck down and Chief Justice of India has himself upheld the rights of all those belonging to LGBTI community," Karat told ANI

"CPI-M congratulates all those who fought this battle. They have taken the fight for democracy further. We welcome this judgment," she added.

Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary, on the other hand, declined to comment on the verdict saying that the matter is of controversial nature and his stand would be decided by the party's take.

After months of deliberations, the Supreme Court struck down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalised homosexuality. A five-judge constitutional bench, headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra and comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud, Rohinton Fali Nariman, AM Khanwilkar and Indu Malhotra, gave the verdict on a bunch of petitions filed to scrap the law.