After drawing enough heat from India’s LGBT community as well as media for not including gay rights in their national manifesto, Aam Aadmi Party’s Mumbai manifesto promises to scrap Section 377 of Indian Penal Code. After CPI(M) and Indian National Congress, AAP becomes the third national party to join the league to support decriminalizing consensual gay sex. The party’s Mumbai manifesto, “Sankalp Patra” reveals how strongly it has emphasized on repealing the draconian law that criminalizes two adults for same-sex love.
In a press conference held in Mumbai and attended by all the candidates of AAP from the city, Mayank Gandhi who is contesting from Mumbai North West constituency on the party ticket “What we are doing in bedroom that should not be the concern of government.” The revision to the national manifesto was cheered and applauded by social activists and the LGBT community of India. Eminent social activist, Medha Patkar who is contesting from Mumbai North-East echoed the same view and affirmed that if the question arises for legalizing gay marriages in India, AAP will certainly support it.
Activists said that repealing 377 is not a cause for the LGBT community of India only, rather it criminalizes every Indian engaging in unnatural sex irrespective of sexual orientations. AAP’s recently becme the only party with openly gay member when Onir and Harish Iyer, well-known gay icons of the country, joined the party ahead Lok Sabha election.