Calling forceful religious Transformations a “ veritably serious issue ”, the Supreme Court on Monday, November 14, issued a notice to the Union government, asking it to make its stage clear on the issue.The bench of JusticeM.R. Shah and Hima Kohli was hearing a solicitation by advocate and Bharatiya Janata Party( BJP) leader Ashwini Upadhyay seeking directions to the Union and state governments to take way to control forced religious transformations.
Upadhyay’s plea contends that “ there is n’t one quarter in the country that’s free of religious conversion ” either by force or through some form of persuading. It says that transformations are being done by “ bogarting, hanging , deceivingly soliciting through gifts and financial benefits and also by using black magic, superstition, cautions ” and called on governments to take “ strict way ” to check the practice.
It further alleges that utmost of the victims of forced transformations come from socially and economically marginalised communities and as similar, the practice “ offends ” not only the abecedarian rights elevated in the Constitution, but also other indigenous principles, similar as denomination.In the last hail in the case on September 23, the top court had sought responses from the Union government, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Union Law Ministry by moment, November 14, according to news agency PTI.
In the present hail, the top court noted there may be freedom of religion, but no freedom from forced conversion.It asked Solicitor General( SG) Tushar Mehta, what steps the Union government has taken in this regard. “ Make your stage veritably clear, what action you propose to take. Conversion is legal under the Constitution, but not forcible conversion, ” Live Law quoted the bench as saying.
Mehta submitted to the court that there are colorful legislations on the issue in countries similar as Madhya Pradesh and Orissa, and that the validity of these state laws have been upheld by the top court itself.Further, SG Mehta handed cases in which individualities have been given vittles similar as rice and wheat if they convert.
The issue with respect to contended conversion of religion, if it’s set up to be correct and true, is a veritably serious issue which may eventually affect the security of the nation as well as the freedom of religion and heart of the citizens. thus, it’s better that Union government may make their stage clear and train counter on what farther way can be taken by Union and/ or others to check similar forced exchanges perhaps by force, allurement or fraudulent means. ”
As similar, the court sought the Union government’scounter-affidavit by November 22 and slated the coming hail to take place on November 28.Upadhyay had filed a analogous affidavit with the Delhi high court which in July this time refused to direct the
Union and Delhi governments to frame a law to stop the supposed forced transformations, saying that Upadhyay hadn’t handed any concrete cases of forced transformations in his solicitation. It also noted that the Union and state council were free to draft such a legislation and that they “ do n’t need the court’s liberty or recommendation for it ”.