Congress parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor's bill to decriminalise gay sex in India could not be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday amid strong objections.
Disappointed after a bill to legalise homosexuality failed to pass through Parliament, members of sexual minorities and their supporters turned out at Bengaluru's Town Hall on Saturday afternoon.
Akkai, a transgender activist, spoke emotionally to NDTV. "Parliamentarians are supposed to play their roles and carry out their responsibilities. How can the Parliamentarians reject the bill, without having a dialogue? I think it's a clear identification that you are transphobic, you are homophobic you are conservative," she said.
"This day is a clear indication of intolerance. We are living in an intolerant country. We demand the honourable Prime Minister's intervention to please function on the basis of constitutional morality and talk about social inclusivity, talk about social justice," she added.
"We urge the President of India's intervention to speak about justice for the entire section of people who have been completely rejected based on sexual orientation and gender identity. If that is not there, please kill us. Do not make us criminals anymore," Akkai said.
Arvind Narayan, a lawyer for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or LGBT rights said, "We want to ask the PM in his motto 'sabka saath, sabka vikaas" who is the sabkey saath? When you talk about inclusive government, what are you taking about? Mr Modi goes on every international stage, but at home, he is silent over the rights of millions of LGBT people in this country."
"Just two weeks ago, (finance minister) Arun Jaitley came on board and said decriminalisation was really important so after that the BJP to do this is distressing more than anything else," he said.
Congress parliamentarian Shashi Tharoor's bill to decriminalise gay sex in India could not be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Friday amid strong objections, with members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and even some from his own party walking out.
There was no formal whip to ruling party law makers but they were present in large numbers to ensure his bill's introduction was voted out with only 24 lawmakers in favour.