Bengaluru: As a petition is filed before the Delhi high court, seeking legalising same-sex marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act, top officials of both Islamic and Christina faiths have opposed it. 

The petition was filed by Abhijit Iyer Mitra and Gita Thadani along with Madurai-based Gopi Shankar M and G Oorvasi. 

“Indian society and law do not recognize such a concept. Homosexuality is unnatural and the Church does not accept that which is against nature because we follow what God has taught us,” Bishop Joshua Mar Ignathios, vice-president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, as reported by UCA News.

“The Catholic Church in India neither promotes nor propagates homosexuality. It is always for men and women and happy families. The Church believes in natural activities and it will always stand for that.”

Another website added that even Mohammed Arif the chairman of the Center for Harmony and Peace, opposed it. 

"Same-sex marriage, homosexuality and gay culture are all Western culture, which some people think is correct, but I don’t think our society is ready to accept them at this moment."

Solicitor General of India Tushar Mehta had said in this regard, “Our law, legal system, society, our values do not recognise the marriage – which is a sacrament – between a same-sex couple.”

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra termed the part of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code which crimiminalises unnatural sex as irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary. It also said it is violative of right to equality, in 2018.

Highlights of the judgement: 

Section 377, IPC, to the extent that it criminalises consensual sex between two adults is arbitrary, irrational and hence liable to be partially struck down.

Sexual orientation is a biological phenomenon, any discrimination on this grounds is violative of fundamental rights.

LGBT community possesses same human and fundamental rights as other citizens.

Courts must protect dignity of an individual as right to live with dignity is recognised as fundamental right.

Section 377 of IPC was weapon to harass members of LGBT community, resulting in discrimination.