Govt, Cong on overdrive to flay SC order on same sex issue

Government and Congress today went on an overdrive to criticise the Supreme Court judgement re-criminalising gay sex and indicated that various options, including ordinance, were available for negating the verdict.
Filing a curative petition or a review plea of yesterday's judgement setting aside a Delhi High Court order four years ago which read down Section 377 of IPC making same sex relations a criminal offence is also being considered.
The government's keenness to work out a quick strategy to get out of the logjam in the wake of the Supreme Court judgement came on a day when Congress President Sonia Gandhi and Vice-President Rahul Gandhi came out against the apex court's verdict expressing their disappointment.

"We will have to change the law. If the Supreme Court has upheld that law, then we will certainly have to take firm steps. Change has to be made fast and any delay cannot take place. We will use all means available to make changes at the earliest," Law Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here in the wake of an uproar over the ruling.
Asked whether government could bring a legislation to amend section 377 of the IPC, he said that at this stage "time is of the essence. We must decriminalise adult consensual relationships."
Responding to questions on the options available with the government, he said "one of the opinions could be to bring it to Parliament at the earliest. The other opinion could be to approach the Supreme Court or take any other route. We will adopt the approach which will give us quick results."

Sources said the ordinance route is not ruled out given the fact that Parliament was non-functional and the legislative option given by the apex court would be a long drawn affair.