NEW DELHI: Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari has termed live-in relationships and same-sex marriage as “wrong” and said these will destroy society, while adding that there are certain societal rules which should be followed.
“Same-sex marriage would lead to the collapse of the social structure,” he said, in a recent YouTube podcast, in response to a question on the issue. Gadkari also said if this is allowed, it could potentially force future govts to consider allowing men to have two wives. He said both live-in relationships and same-sex marriage are “inappropriate”.
Recalling his visit to the British Parliament, the minister said he had asked UK PM and foreign minister about the major issues their country was facing. “They said the biggest problem in European countries is that the majority of young men and women are not interested in getting married and are opting for live-in relationships,” Gadkari said.
The minister also said there is a need to balance the sex ratio and a married couple should have children. “If it (sex ratio) reaches a point where there are 1,500 women and only 1,000 men, we may have to allow men to have two wives,” he added. Gadkari said it’s the duty of “parents to have children and raise them properly”.
The minister’s views on live-in relationship come at a time when BJP-governed Uttarakhand govt has passed a law that enforces a uniform set of rules for civil relationships, including marriage, divorce and inheritance, across all religions and makes the registration of live-in relationships mandatory.
Dismissing allegations that BJP and RSS are against Muslims, Gadkari said they don’t believe in majoritarianism or minoritarianism.
