Taking a full U turn on the issue of gay sex, the Centre today informed the Supreme Court it has favoured the decriminalization of gay sex and asserted there is no legal error in the Delhi High Court verdict which had decriminalized gay sex in 2009.

After the Additional Solicitor-General Mr Mohan Jain revealed the Centre’s stand, the division bench consisting of Justices G.S. Singhvi and S.J. Mukhopadhaya pulled up the Centre for changing its earlier stand that gay sex is immoral.

“Don’t make a mockery of the system and don’t waste our time,” the court told the ASG.

It might be recalled that Additional Solicitor-General P.P. Malhotra, appearing for the Ministry of Home Affairs in the apex court last week, had opposed decriminalization of gay sex and said it is highly immoral and goes against the Indian traditions.

Mohan Jain today appeared on behalf of the Health Ministry and said it had favoured the decriminalization of gay sex.

Delhi High Court decriminalized gay sex in 2009 and had ruled that the sex between two consenting adults of the same sex in private would not be an offence.

Senior BJP leader B.P. Singhal, religious organizations like the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, the Utkal Christian Council and the Apostolic Churches Alliance have challenged the High Court’s order in Supreme Court.

The Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights, the Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhgam, astrologer Suresh Kumar Kaushal and yoga guru Baba Ramdev have also filed petitions opposing the verdict. (J)