Observing that religious conversion is a serious issue and it should not be given a political colour, the Supreme Court on Monday sought the assistance of Attorney-General R Venkataramani on a plea seeking direction to the Centre and States to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversions.
The Bench comprising Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar was hearing a petition to prevent religious conversions through “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits.” “We want your assistance also, AG. Religious conversions by force, allurement etc. There are ways and ways, anything by allurement, if that is happening, when what should be done? What are the corrective measures?” the Bench said, hearing the petition by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. During the arguments, senior advocate P Wilson, appearing for Tamil Nadu, called the petition a “politically motivated” PIL, insisting there was no question of such conversions in the State.
The Bench took objection and remarked,” You may have different reasons to be agitated like this. Don’t convert court proceedings into other things. ... We are concerned for the entire State. If it is happening in your State, it is bad. If not, good. Do not see it as targeting one State. Do not make it political.”
The court had warned a “very difficult situation” will emerge if proselytisation through deception, allurement and intimidation is not stopped. The Gujarat Government had told the top court at an earlier hearing that freedom of religion does not include the right to convert others, and requested it to vacate a HC stay on the provision of a State law that mandates prior permission of the DM for conversion through marriage.