December 12, 2013 - 12:40 AM
NEW DELHI - India's law minister says the government is considering options to challenge an order by the top court striking down a 2009 lower court decision decriminalizing homosexual conduct.
The minister, Kapil Sibal, says he's for decriminalizing homosexual acts, hinting that the government could seek a judicial review of Wednesday's Supreme Court decision or that Parliament could enact a new law.
Sibal made the comments Thursday on his official Twitter account, saying that "the government is considering all options."
The Supreme Court ruled that only lawmakers could change a colonial-era law that bans homosexual acts and makes them punishable by up to a decade in prison.
The ruling dealt a blow to gay activists who have fought for years for the chance to live openly in India's deeply conservative society.
News from © The Associated Press, 2013