In a significant deviation from its largely conservative leanings, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) today said the right-wing organisation does not believe that homosexuality is a crime and underlined the personal freedom of an individual in matters of sexuality.



Speaking on the first day of the two-day India Today Conclave 2016, RSS's Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale, said, "Why should RSS have an opinion on homosexuality? It is not a crime as long as it does not affect the lives of others. Sexual preferences are personal issues."

The RSS is the ideological mentor of the BJP.

According to Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, homosexuality is unnatural and carries a maximum punishment of ten years in jail. Recently, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also called for decriminalising homosexuality.

Jaitley's call, however, was denied by his party, the BJP, which used its "brute majority", as alleged by Shashi Tharoor, to defeat the Congress MP's private bill to that effect.

For the second time in three months, the Lok Sabha last week voted against the introduction of a private member's Bill, sought to be introduced by Tharoor for decriminalising homosexuality.

In 2009, the Delhi High Court had called the law discriminatory and ruled that same-sex relationship between two consenting adults should not be considered a crime.

The Supreme Court in December 2013, however, upheld that 158-year-old British era law, a verdict that created an outrage among LGBT activists.

Last month, the Supreme Court referred to a constitution bench the curative petition seeking a relook at its earlier verdict upholding the validity of Section 377.

India is among the 70 countries in the world where homosexuality is criminalised.

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