VHP activists protest against Supreme Court’s verdict on live-in relationships

NEW DELHI - Activists of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on Monday staged a protest here against the Supreme Court for citing the example of the relationship of Hindu god Lord Krishna with his consort Radha to corroborate its judgment on live-in relationships.

The protestors asked the apex court to take back its observation.

“The observation made by it (apex court) regarding Radha-Krishna has hurt the sentiments of billions of Hindus. We request the Supreme Court that it should withdraw this comment from the final verdict. It should take back its observation,” said Swadesh Pal Gupta, Delhi VHP President.

The Supreme Court had on March 23 threw its weight behind live-in relationships, observing that for a man and a woman in love, to live together is part of the right to life, and not a “criminal offence”.

“If two people, man and woman, want to live together, who can oppose them? What is the offence they commit here? This happens because of the cultural exchange between people,” a special three-judge bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) K G Balakrishnan and Justices Deepak Verma and B S Chauhan observed.

“If living together is an offence, then the first complaint should be filed against the Supreme Court, because we have permitted living together,” the court said, referring to a 2006 judgment in which the Supreme Court directed the administration and police across the country to protect runaway couples from harassment, and to initiate action against those resorting to violence.

The court was hearing a batch of petitions filed by actress Khusboo to quash the 22 FIRs filed against her by Tamil activist groups and forums for her alleged comments on pre-marital sex in interviews five years ago.

The VHP, founded in 1964, is an ideological ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). (ANI)