Justice Kurian Joseph, a former judge on the Supreme Court, stated on Friday that he is completely opposed to the idea of same-sex marriages.
“Marriage is essentially a union between man and woman,” he said at an India Today conclave. “The other [same-sex relationship] is an association. Marriage is united forever for the purposes of nature, for procreation and recreation. I’m 100% against same-sex marriage. It [same-sex relationship] can be an association, it can be a union, it can be whatever…”
“You can have your own choice, whether you want to live with a friend or close friend, intimate friend, particular friend,” he said. “But the moment you touch the concept of marriage, then it is different. It is a basic unit of the society. This affects the roots of the issue.”
A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud held its decision last month on a group of petitions looking for lawful acknowledgment of same-sex relationships after a conference that endured 10 days.
The petitions have been opposed by the government of Narendra Modi, who argued that the Indian concept of family is incompatible with same-sex marriages and that the demands for their legal recognition are "urban elitist views for the purpose of social acceptance."
Additionally, it argued that the laws has the authority to enact marriage laws, and the judiciary need not intervene.
The petitioners, conversely, claim that the nation's marriage laws discriminate against the LGBTQIA+ community and violate their fundamental rights to dignity and privacy.
Justice Joseph told India Today on Friday that the Supreme Court's primary responsibility in the case was to verify the legality of the laws and other executive actions.
He said the issue is "intimately connected" to people's religion, culture, and beliefs.
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