Tharoor’s Bill on homosexuality voted out

Introduced by Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, Lok Sabha on Friday rejected a Private Members’ Bill seeking to decriminalise homosexuality.

The Bill sought amendment to the IPC by advocating that the Section 377 of the IPC should be substituted. But the BJP member Nishikant Dubey objected to it, saying he was not opposing it under the influence of any religion, vedas or ‘puranas’ but because of the Supreme Court ruling.

In December 2013, the Supreme Court reversed a Delhi High Court verdict that had asked the government to take a view on decriminalising homosexuality as in 2009 it had termed Section 377 unconstitutional.

Mr. Tharoor, however, went ahead introducing the Bill saying Mr. Dubey cherry picked some elements of the Supreme Court ruling.

Mr. Tharoor was supported by BJD’s Tathagata Satpathy. But to take the majority of the House in confidence Deputy Speaker M. Thambidurai put the motion to vote, which was negated by 71 ‘Noes’ against 24 ‘yes.’