India Thursday legalized homosexuality, with the Delhi High Court striking down the act which hails gay sex as "unnatural".

In its judgment, the court stroke down Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, saying the act which criminalizes gay sex among consenting adults is "violation of fundamental rights".

Any kind of discrimination is anti-thesis of right to equality, it said, thereby allowing plea of gay rights activists for decriminalization of homosexuality.

The Naz Foundation along with an activist group Voices Against 377 had filed a petition seeking decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Earlier, the United Progressive Alliance government was in favor of scrapping Section 377 with Law Minister Veerappa Moily calling the law outdated. But later the central government backtracked with both Moily and Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad calling for consensus.

(Xinhua News Agency July 2, 2009)