SC anguished over plea seeking new law to check religious conversions

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday expressed anguish at a PIL seeking direction to the Centre to take steps and consider a new law to check religious conversions.

A bench headed by Justice R.F. Nariman said there is a reason why word propagate is there in the Constitution and there is no reason why persons above 18 cannot be allowed to choose their religion. Declining to entertain the PIL by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, the bench said: "It is a publicity interest litigation." After a brief hearing in the matter Upadhyay agreed to withdraw the petition.

The plea said the cause of action accrued on May 10, 1995, when the Court directed to ascertain the feasibility of enacting anti-conversion law in Sarla Mudgal case, but the Centre did nothing to stop the deceitful religious conversions.

"It is necessary to state that the Centre is empowered to make special provisions for the benefit of women and children under Article 15 (3) and freedom of conscience, free profession, practice and propagation of religion under Article 25 is subject to public order, morality, health and other provisions of Part-III," said the plea.

The plea said incidents are reported every week across the country where religious conversion is done by intimidating, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits and by using black magic, superstition, miracles and hypocrisy but Centre has not taken appropriate steps to stop these menaces of society. (IANS)

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