Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has expressed strong disapproval of live-in relationships and same-sex marriages, calling them detrimental to societal norms and the social structure. Speaking in a podcast on YouTube, Gadkari asserted that live-in relationships are wrong and should not be encouraged, adding that such arrangements could lead to the collapse of the social fabric.
During the podcast, Gadkari shared his thoughts on his visit to the British Parliament, where he was told that one of the UK’s most significant problems was the increasing trend of people opting for live-in relationships instead of formal marriages. He questioned the long-term implications of such choices, asking, “If you don’t marry, how will you have children? What will be the future of such children? If you go against the societal structure, what impact will it have on people?”
While Gadkari acknowledged that society ultimately determines its own norms, he stressed the importance of maintaining a balanced sex ratio in India. He raised a hypothetical scenario where, if there were 1,500 women for every 1,000 men, it might be necessary to allow men to have two wives in such cases, underscoring the need for maintaining social equilibrium.
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Regarding divorce laws, Gadkari clarified that he did not see the need to ban divorces in an “ideal India,” but reiterated his opposition to live-in relationships, calling them “not good.” His comments come a year after the Supreme Court’s five-judge constitution bench rejected the request for legal recognition of same-sex marriages. The bench, however, advocated for equal rights for queer individuals, with all judges agreeing that it was within Parliament’s jurisdiction to amend laws for validating such unions.
In 2018, the Supreme Court had overruled its 2013 decision and partially struck down Section 377, a colonial-era law that criminalized consensual same-sex relations, offering a partial victory for the LGBTQ+ community in India.
