Sirsi: Welcoming the Supreme Court decision to decriminalise sexual relations between consenting homosexual adults, Union Minister Anantkumar Hegde on Saturday said homosexuality is not a crime nor a curse on society and that they too have the fundamental right to live with dignity.

He was speaking to reporters after taking part in ‘Swachhata hi Seva’ programme at Hunusehonda pond of Sonda near here.

“Gays and lesbians are humans just like any other individuals. It is just a sexual orientation of a few individuals and it is not possible to eliminate or remove it. We should let them live peacefully,” the Union minister said.