VHP to hold nationwide protests against same-sex marriage plea in SC

Stating that same-sex marriage is against the "ethics of Indian culture," Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday held a protest in Tripura's Agartala and said the outfit will orgainse similar protests nationwide against a plea in the Supreme Court on the issue.

This comes amid the ongoing hearing in Supreme Court in connection with various petitions seeking legal recognition of the same-sex marriage.

"Nationwide protests will be held against the plea in the Supreme Court. This plea is against the ethics of Sanatani beliefs," VHP Tripura chief Mahendrapal Singh said.

Opposing the plea, Singh said that the Hindu Marriage Act 1954 is sacred and should not be changed.

 

"Hindu Marriage Act 1954 is very sacred and based on the 'sanatani' belief and it should remain unchanged and unchallenged," Singh said.

"All the saints and educated fraternities have strongly objected to this unexpected anticipation," he added.

The Constitution Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, Justice Ravindra Bhat, Justice Hima Kohli and Justice PS Narasimha is dealing with a batch of petitions pertaining to 'marriage equality rights for the LGBTQI+ community'.

The Constitution Bench started hearing the petitions on April 18.

Various petitions are being dealt with by Supreme Court seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. The Centre has opposed the petitions. One of the petitions earlier raised the absence of a legal framework which allowed members of the LGBTQ+ community to marry any person of their choice.

According to the petition, the couple sought to enforce the fundamental rights of LGBTQ+ individuals to marry any person of their choice and said that "The exercise of which ought to be insulated from the disdain of legislative and popular majorities".

The petitioners, further, asserted their fundamental right to marry each other and prayed for appropriate directions from the apex court allowing and enabling them to do so.