By PTI
NEW DELHI: Forced non secular conversion might pose a hazard to nationwide safety and impinge on the non secular freedom of residents, the Supreme Court stated on Monday and requested the Centre to step in and make honest efforts to sort out the “very serious” problem.
The courtroom warned a “very difficult situation” will emerge if proselytisation via deception, allurement and intimidation is just not stopped.
“The issue with respect to the alleged conversion of religion, if it is found to be correct and true, is a very serious issue which may ultimately affect the security of the nation as well as the freedom of religion and conscience of the citizens.”
“Therefore, it is better that the Union government may make their stand clear and file counter on what steps can be taken by Union and/or others to curb such forced conversion maybe by force, allurement or fraudulent means,” a bench of Justices M R Shah and Hima Kohli stated.
The courtroom requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to enumerate measures to curb the observe.
“This is a very serious matter. Sincere efforts are to be made by the Centre to stop forced conversions. Otherwise, a very difficult situation will come. Tell us what action do you propose….You have to step in,” the bench noticed.
Mehta submitted earlier than the highest courtroom that the problem was debated even within the Constituent Assembly.
“There were two Acts. One was by the Odisha government and another one by Madhya Pradesh dealing with regulation of any forcible conversion by deceit, falsehood or fraud, money. These issues came before this court for consideration and the top court upheld the validity,” Mehta stated.
The solicitor basic stated pressured non secular conversions are rampant in tribal areas.
Many a time the victims aren’t conscious they’re the subject material of legal offence and would say they’re being helped, Mehta stated.
The prime courtroom noticed there could also be freedom of faith however there can’t be freedom of faith by pressured conversion.
It granted time until November 22, 2022, to the Centre to file its response on the problem and posted the matter for listening to on November 28.
The apex courtroom was listening to a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay searching for path from the Centre and states to take stringent steps to regulate fraudulent non secular conversion by “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits.”
The prime courtroom had on September 23 sought responses from the Centre and others to the plea.
Upadhyay submitted in his plea that pressured non secular conversion is a nationwide downside which must be tackled instantly.
“The injury caused to the citizens is extremely large because there is not even one district which is free of religious conversion by ‘hook and crook’,” the plea submitted.
“Incidents are reported every week throughout the country where conversion is done by intimidating, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits and also by using black magic, superstition, miracles but Centre and States have not taken stringent steps to stop this menace,” stated the plea filed via advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey.
The plea has additionally sought instructions to the Law Commission of India to organize a report in addition to a Bill to regulate non secular conversion by intimidation and thru financial advantages.
NEW DELHI: Forced non secular conversion might pose a hazard to nationwide safety and impinge on the non secular freedom of residents, the Supreme Court stated on Monday and requested the Centre to step in and make honest efforts to sort out the “very serious” problem.
The courtroom warned a “very difficult situation” will emerge if proselytisation via deception, allurement and intimidation is just not stopped.
“The issue with respect to the alleged conversion of religion, if it is found to be correct and true, is a very serious issue which may ultimately affect the security of the nation as well as the freedom of religion and conscience of the citizens.”
“Therefore, it is better that the Union government may make their stand clear and file counter on what steps can be taken by Union and/or others to curb such forced conversion maybe by force, allurement or fraudulent means,” a bench of Justices M R Shah and Hima Kohli stated.
The courtroom requested Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to enumerate measures to curb the observe.
“This is a very serious matter. Sincere efforts are to be made by the Centre to stop forced conversions. Otherwise, a very difficult situation will come. Tell us what action do you propose….You have to step in,” the bench noticed.
Mehta submitted earlier than the highest courtroom that the problem was debated even within the Constituent Assembly.
“There were two Acts. One was by the Odisha government and another one by Madhya Pradesh dealing with regulation of any forcible conversion by deceit, falsehood or fraud, money. These issues came before this court for consideration and the top court upheld the validity,” Mehta stated.
The solicitor basic stated pressured non secular conversions are rampant in tribal areas.
Many a time the victims aren’t conscious they’re the subject material of legal offence and would say they’re being helped, Mehta stated.
The prime courtroom noticed there could also be freedom of faith however there can’t be freedom of faith by pressured conversion.
It granted time until November 22, 2022, to the Centre to file its response on the problem and posted the matter for listening to on November 28.
The apex courtroom was listening to a plea filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay searching for path from the Centre and states to take stringent steps to regulate fraudulent non secular conversion by “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits.”
The prime courtroom had on September 23 sought responses from the Centre and others to the plea.
Upadhyay submitted in his plea that pressured non secular conversion is a nationwide downside which must be tackled instantly.
“The injury caused to the citizens is extremely large because there is not even one district which is free of religious conversion by ‘hook and crook’,” the plea submitted.
“Incidents are reported every week throughout the country where conversion is done by intimidating, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits and also by using black magic, superstition, miracles but Centre and States have not taken stringent steps to stop this menace,” stated the plea filed via advocate Ashwani Kumar Dubey.
The plea has additionally sought instructions to the Law Commission of India to organize a report in addition to a Bill to regulate non secular conversion by intimidation and thru financial advantages.
