Abhijit Ray, Kolkata:Centre opposes the legal recognition of same-sex marriage On Monday, the central government said that marriages take place between men and women. This practice is socially and universally accepted. Therefore, if same-sex marriage is considered equal to the prevailing practice or legal recognition, the interests of every citizen of the country are bound to be undermined. Moreover, such decisions should be taken by the country’s legal department, not the judiciary.Several petitions have been filed in the country’s top court seeking legal recognition of same-sex marriage. A five-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court will hear the cases on Tuesday. The constitution bench also comprises Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud, Justices S K Kaul, Ravindra Bhat, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha. The supreme court had asked all the parties concerned to give their opinion before the hearing. The Centre had earlier opposed same-sex marriage.On Monday, they again opposed it, saying some of the city’s elite want legal approval for same-sex marriage to gain social recognition. However, if this marriage is legalized, it will also have an adverse effect on Hindu law and other related laws. The Centre claims that the right to recognition of same-sex marriage does not include the right to individual liberty in the Constitution. Hindu law, even Islam, does not recognize same-sex marriage, the Centre said.
