<p class="title">As the issue of decriminalisation of homosexuality once again hits the headlines, all eyes will be on the Centre on what stand it would take on the issue.</p>.<p class="title">On Monday, the government had tried to get the hearing of the petition postponed but the Supreme Court did not heed to the plea and went ahead with the hearing on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="title">Officials said the government will clear the stand in the Supreme Court as and when the occasion comes.</p>.<p class="title">However, they refused to spell the specifics even as LGBT activists harboured an apprehension that the NDA regime may not support their cause.</p>.<p class="title">Earlier during a private member's bill by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, the BJP MPs had opposed it tooth and nail.</p>.<p class="title">During the UPA regime, different ministries had taken diametrically opposite stand and had earned the wrath from the higher judiciary for the contradictory stands.</p>.<p class="title">Even two lawyers, who had appeared for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken divergent stands, adding to the confusion.</p>.<p class="title">Soon after the historic 2009 judgement by Delhi High Court decriminalising Section 377, the MHA had issued a press release saying it has not taken any position on homosexuality.</p>.<p class="title">It also said a Cabinet meeting had then decided that the Centre should not appeal against the high court judgement in the Supreme Court.</p>.<p class="title">However, after the Supreme Court judgement came, the UPA government had in December 2013 filed a review petition in Supreme Court to "avoid grave miscarriage of justice" to thousands of LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders) persons who were affected by the verdict that re-criminalises homosexuals.</p>.<p class="title">Later, several prominent personalities and gay activists also filed separate petitions against the Supreme Court order.</p>.<p class="title">In March 2012, during the hearing on appeal against the high court verdict, the MHA had filed a formal affidavit in the Supreme Court, supporting decriminalisation of gay sex among consenting adults saying the decision was taken as early as July 2009 by a GoM comprising Union ministers of home, law and family welfare.</p>.<p class="title">The affidavit came after two lawyers representing the MHA took contradictory stands and the apex court rebuked it for this fiasco.</p>.<p class="title">The MHA affidavit had then said that there does not appear to be any legal error in the judgement and the Supreme Court may take a final view "whether the judgement of the high court is legally correct or not".</p>
<p class="title">As the issue of decriminalisation of homosexuality once again hits the headlines, all eyes will be on the Centre on what stand it would take on the issue.</p>.<p class="title">On Monday, the government had tried to get the hearing of the petition postponed but the Supreme Court did not heed to the plea and went ahead with the hearing on Tuesday.</p>.<p class="title">Officials said the government will clear the stand in the Supreme Court as and when the occasion comes.</p>.<p class="title">However, they refused to spell the specifics even as LGBT activists harboured an apprehension that the NDA regime may not support their cause.</p>.<p class="title">Earlier during a private member's bill by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, the BJP MPs had opposed it tooth and nail.</p>.<p class="title">During the UPA regime, different ministries had taken diametrically opposite stand and had earned the wrath from the higher judiciary for the contradictory stands.</p>.<p class="title">Even two lawyers, who had appeared for the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has taken divergent stands, adding to the confusion.</p>.<p class="title">Soon after the historic 2009 judgement by Delhi High Court decriminalising Section 377, the MHA had issued a press release saying it has not taken any position on homosexuality.</p>.<p class="title">It also said a Cabinet meeting had then decided that the Centre should not appeal against the high court judgement in the Supreme Court.</p>.<p class="title">However, after the Supreme Court judgement came, the UPA government had in December 2013 filed a review petition in Supreme Court to "avoid grave miscarriage of justice" to thousands of LGBT (Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders) persons who were affected by the verdict that re-criminalises homosexuals.</p>.<p class="title">Later, several prominent personalities and gay activists also filed separate petitions against the Supreme Court order.</p>.<p class="title">In March 2012, during the hearing on appeal against the high court verdict, the MHA had filed a formal affidavit in the Supreme Court, supporting decriminalisation of gay sex among consenting adults saying the decision was taken as early as July 2009 by a GoM comprising Union ministers of home, law and family welfare.</p>.<p class="title">The affidavit came after two lawyers representing the MHA took contradictory stands and the apex court rebuked it for this fiasco.</p>.<p class="title">The MHA affidavit had then said that there does not appear to be any legal error in the judgement and the Supreme Court may take a final view "whether the judgement of the high court is legally correct or not".</p>
