SC Verdict on Homosexuality Momentous; Important Step Towards Liberal Society: Congress

New Delhi: The Congress Thursday hailed as "momentous" the Supreme Court verdict decriminalising consensual gay sex and termed it an important step forward towards a liberal and tolerant society.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the age-old colonial law was an anachronism in today's modern times and the verdict restores the fundamental rights and negates discrimination based on sexual orientation.

"Supreme Court verdict on Section 377 is momentous. "An age-old colonial law, that was an anachronism in today's modern times, ends restoring the fundamental rights and negating discrimination based on sexual orientation. It's an important step forward towards a liberal, tolerant society," he said on Twitter.

On its official Twitter handle, the Congress said, "We join the people of India & the LGBTQIA+ community in their victory over prejudice. We welcome the progressive & decisive verdict from the Supreme Court & hope this is the beginning of a more equal & inclusive society".

"We welcome the Supreme Court's landmark verdict. We have always believed that this has been a long time coming and we celebrate it with our friends in the LGBTQAI + community. Equality won today," the party said.

Sharing his "joy and pride" over the verdict, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "It has been a great day for the country and for equality. It has been a historic day and a day of celebration".

Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev congratulated the activists and communities that fought for equality and said "love conquers hate".

Former Lok Sabha MP Priya Dutt celebrated the Supreme Court judgement and congratulated the judges on their "progressive verdict", while senior party leader Milind Deora commended the Supreme Court judges on the historic verdict and shared the happiness of "victory" with the people of India.

Congress leader Sachin Pilot thanked the apex court "for upholding the constitutional values of our country".

A five-judge constitution bench of the Supreme Court unanimously decriminalised part of the 158-year-old colonial law under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalises consensual unnatural sex, saying it violated the rights to equality.

The constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra termed the part of Section 377 as "irrational, indefensible and manifestly arbitrary".