NEW DELHI: While the hearing before a five-judge constitution bench on the issue of legal recognition for same-sex marriages is drawing to an end, no state has come out in support of the petitioners. While some states, including Rajasthan, have opposed it, others have sought more time to decide on the issue.
Since states were not issued notice by the Supreme Court on a batch of petitions on the issue, the law ministry had written to them seeking their opinion so that the Centre could place their views before the court. Only Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh appeared before the bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, and they strongly opposed the plea.
Seven other states тАФ Rajasthan, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur тАФ responded to the CentreтАЩs letter. While Rajasthan, Assam and Andhra Pradesh took the line adopted by the Centre and opposed the plea, the rest, including Uttar Pradesh, sought more time to make up their mind.
The Rajasthan government said same-sex marriages could create social imbalance and it would have wider ramifications for society. It said that there was no tradition of same-sex marriage in any district of the state and public opinion was against it.
The Andhra Pradesh government said it had consulted various religious heads in the state. тАЬAfter considering the above views, I am to inform that the state of Andhra Pradesh is against same sex marriage and/or persons belonging to LGBTQIA+ community,тАЭ the special chief secretary of the state stated in his response.
тАЬThe question involved in the petition is a sensitive subject affecting various sections of society and different religious denominations. The state government cannot formulate its comprehensive response without wide consultation with all sections of society. Hence, it would not be possible for the state government to provide any comprehensive response in such a short period of time,тАЭ the state of Uttar Pradesh said.
A similar stand was taken by Maharashtra and Manipur, which sought more time to take a decision on the issue. The Sikkim government said that it had set up a committee to conduct an in-depth study and to prepare a report to assess the ramification of same-sex marriages, adding that the state would submit its views once the report was prepared.
Since states were not issued notice by the Supreme Court on a batch of petitions on the issue, the law ministry had written to them seeking their opinion so that the Centre could place their views before the court. Only Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh appeared before the bench of CJI DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul, S Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli and PS Narasimha, and they strongly opposed the plea.
Seven other states тАФ Rajasthan, Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Manipur тАФ responded to the CentreтАЩs letter. While Rajasthan, Assam and Andhra Pradesh took the line adopted by the Centre and opposed the plea, the rest, including Uttar Pradesh, sought more time to make up their mind.
The Rajasthan government said same-sex marriages could create social imbalance and it would have wider ramifications for society. It said that there was no tradition of same-sex marriage in any district of the state and public opinion was against it.
The Andhra Pradesh government said it had consulted various religious heads in the state. тАЬAfter considering the above views, I am to inform that the state of Andhra Pradesh is against same sex marriage and/or persons belonging to LGBTQIA+ community,тАЭ the special chief secretary of the state stated in his response.
тАЬThe question involved in the petition is a sensitive subject affecting various sections of society and different religious denominations. The state government cannot formulate its comprehensive response without wide consultation with all sections of society. Hence, it would not be possible for the state government to provide any comprehensive response in such a short period of time,тАЭ the state of Uttar Pradesh said.
A similar stand was taken by Maharashtra and Manipur, which sought more time to take a decision on the issue. The Sikkim government said that it had set up a committee to conduct an in-depth study and to prepare a report to assess the ramification of same-sex marriages, adding that the state would submit its views once the report was prepared.
