The Supreme Court has indicated that the ban may be lifted, bringing cheer to the LGBT community.
The Muslim Law Board, which earlier maintained that it would not oppose a scrapping of the ban on gay sex, today said it was in favour of the ban and expressed disappointment that the government left it to the Supreme Court to take a call on the matter. One of its members said homosexuality "is injurious to health" and added that the government should take a stand and contest the matter in court.
"We support Section 377. Homosexuality is injurious for human health, it should remain a crime," said Zafaryab Jilani, the secretary of the Muslim Personal Law Board.
Homosexuality is banned in traditional Islamic law and the Law Board, had always taken a stand against demands for scrapping Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.
This time, as the Centre left the decision to the Supreme Court on lifting the 150-year-old ban, the Law Board had said they would not contest the matter.
"We left the matter to the Supreme Court. We will not participate in the (Section) 377 proceedings," AIMPLB member Yusuf Hatim Muchhala had told NDTV.
In subsequent hearings, the court indicated that the ban may be lifted, bringing cheer to the LGBT community.
"The board expresses regret that the government has taken a neutral stand... The government should take a stand and contest the matter in Court," Mr Jilani said today.
Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's frequent comments that Muslim women need to be supported, he said, "If the PM really has sympathy for women, they should give more government grants to Waqf Boards across the country so that they can support Muslim women who are suffering through monetary assistance."