SC to hear plea against forced religious conversion on January 9
Dec 12, 2022
New Delhi [India], December 12 : The Supreme Court on Monday adjourned the hearing of a plea claiming that fraudulent and deceitful religious conversion is rampant across the country to January 9 next year.
A bench of Justices MR Shah and S Ravindra Bhat adjourned the hearing for January next year as the Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who was representing Centre in the case, was unavailable.
During the hearing, senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for certain minority religious bodies, brought to the notice of the apex court the "scurrilous" allegations against certain religions in the plea filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay.
The bench asked senior advocate Arvind Datar, appearing for the petitioner, to examine the comments made against certain minority religions in the plea.
Dave requested the bench to allow his client to be impleaded as a party to the case.
Earlier, the apex court asked the Centre to file a detailed affidavit after collecting information from the State governments on anti-conversion laws while saying that issue of forced or deceitful religious conversion is serious.
Every charity or good work is welcome, but the intention has to be checked, the bench has observed.
The top court has earlier also remarked that forced religious conversion is a "very serious issue" and may affect the "security of the country" along with the freedom of conscience of citizens as far as religion is concerned.
It had said, "It is a very dangerous thing. Everyone has freedom of religion. What is this forceful conversion?"
The plea claimed that fraudulent and deceitful religious conversion is rampant across the country and that the Central government has failed to control its menace.
The plea sought directions to the Law Commission of India to prepare a report and a Bill to control "deceitful religious conversion".
The Central government has also filed an affidavit in the apex court stating that freedom of religion does not include a fundamental right to convert other people to a particular religion.
It is "cognizant of the gravity and the seriousness" of the issue, said the Centre adding that such issue of conversion shall be "taken up in all seriousness by the Union of India and appropriate steps shall be taken as the Central government is cognizant of the menace".
The Gujarat government also filed an affidavit saying that the right to freedom of religion does not include a fundamental right to convert other people to a particular religion and that too through fraud, deception, and allurement.
