Need for debate on gay law: India`s Health Minister Azad

New Delhi, Jun 29 (PTI) Amid a raging debate over
amendment to section 377, which criminalises homosexuality,
India's Health Ministry Monday said there was a need for
"Parliamentary debate" and a "broad consensus" on the issue.

"I can simply say that there should be more debate--
public debate, Parliament debate. There has to be consensus.
The negative and positive has to be evaluated and then a
conclusion should be evolved," Union Health Minister Ghulam
Nabi Azad said at a press conference here.

Asserting that there could not be a better forum than
Parliament to debate the issue, he said, "...there should be a
total consensus. Not only Government, but other political
parties should also be in line with it (amendment)".

"If you are going to be bringing in a legislation of
this nature, there has to be a broad consensus," he asserted.

Elaborating on the issue, Azad said, while certain
issues were related to the country's culture, others pertained
to diseases associated with homosexuality. "There should be a
general debate where out heritage as well as diseases are
considered".

People should become apprised of all the negatives and
positives of the matter before forming their opinion, he
added.

Earlier, Law Minister Veerappa Moily said in Hyderabad
that the government will not take a decision in a hurry to
repeal the controversial Section 377 of IPC.


Concerns have been voiced by some Christian and Muslim
religious groups against the step. PTI