The Allahabad High Court warned that unchecked unlawful conversion of religion could lead to today’s majority becoming tomorrow’s minority in India. – TOI
If the unlawful conversion at religious gatherings continued then the majority population of this country would be in the minority one day, Allahabad High Court said.
The court made these observations while hearing the case of unlawful conversion of religion in Hamirpur’s district of Uttar Pradesh. The court noted serious allegations made against the accused, who allegedly took some Uttar Pradesh villagers away to a gathering of ‘well-being’ in Delhi.
Kailash has been accused of taking people from Hamirpur to Delhi for conversion to Christianity. Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal dismissed the bail plea of Kashish under the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, according to Bar and Bench.
“In the instant case, there are serious allegations against the applicant by the informant that her brother, along with several others, were taken from their village to attend a gathering in New Delhi and converted to Christianity. The brother of the informant never returned,” the court said.
In this context, the court said, “If this process is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of this country would be in the minority one day, and such religious congregation should be immediately stopped where conversion is taking place and changing the religion of citizen of India.”
“It has come to the notice of this court in several cases that unlawful activity of conversion of people of SC/ST caste and other castes including economically poor persons into Christianity is being done at rampant pace throughout Uttar Pradesh,” news agency ANI quoted high court bench as saying.
The court also observed that Article 25 of the Constitution of India provides for “freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion” but does not provide for conversion from one faith to another faith, reported Bar and Bench.
It further observed that “unlawful activity of conversion of people of SC/ST castes and other castes including economically poor persons” to Christianity is being done at rampant pace throughout Uttar Pradesh.
According to the FIR filed at Maudaha police station in Hamirpur district in 2023, one Ramphal, brother of the informant Ramkali Prajapati was allegedly taken to Delhi by Kailash to attend a social gathering. Several others from the village were also taken to such gatherings where all of them were converted to Christianity.
The applicant had promised the informant that her brother who was suffering from a mental illness would be treated and would return to the village within a week, reported PTI.
However, when that did not happen, she asked Kailash about her brother but did not get a satisfactory reply. She then approached the police. – Times of India, 2 july 2024
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