Goa Minister Ramesh Tawadkar plans ‘cure’ units for LGBTs

Panaji: Goa’s sports and youth affairs minister Ramesh Tawadkar on Monday said the government was planning to set up centres to administer treatment to the LGBT youths to make them “normal”.

He was speaking to reporters after launching the state government's youth policy. “We will make them (LGBT youth) normal. We will have a centre for them. Like Alcoholic Anonymous, we will have centres. We will train them and give them medicines too,” he said. The policy lists LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-gender) community among the stigmatised groups that need attention.

“A detailed survey would be carried out on the LGBT community so that their problems could be addressed,” he added.

The BJP refused to comment on the statement. “I am not aware of the statement and in what context he made it,” said Goa BJP spokesperson Dr Wilfred Mesquita.

This is ridiculous, its like we're moving backwards: Rituparna (LGBT rights activist) on Ramesh Tawadkar's statement pic.twitter.com/98IK6FiQd1

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2015

He should get himself checked if whether he is normal: Anand Grover (LGBT rights activist) on Ramesh Tawadkar pic.twitter.com/VfSIkT2Si8

— ANI (@ANI_news) January 12, 2015