The Allahabad High Court expressed concerns over the rising conversions taking place at religious congregations and said that it must be stopped adding that the country’s “majority population would be in minority” if such gatherings are allowed.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal made the observation on Monday while dismissing the bail plea of Kailash, accused of converting a group of Hindus from a village to Christianity.
With this observation, the bench stated that the religious congregations, where conversions are occurring and where the religions of the citizens of India are being changed, should be immediately stopped, Live Law reported.
The Court also added that such conversions are against the Constitutional mandate of Article 25 of the Constitution of India, “which does not provide for religious conversion” but provides “only freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion”.
Importantly, the bench also noted that it has come to its attention in several cases that unlawful conversions of people from SC/ST castes and other economically disadvantaged groups to Christianity are occurring at a “rampant pace” throughout the State of Uttar Pradesh, Live Law reported.
These observations were made by the high court while rejecting a bail plea moved by Kailash, who has been booked by UP Police under Section 365 IPC and Section 3/5(1) of the U.P. Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, on the allegations of taking people of his village to a social gathering in Delhi wherein he was instrumental in converting them to Christianity.
The Allahabad High Court also ordered an immediate ban on religious congregations where conversions of individuals are taking place.
Considering the seriousness of the conversation allegations, the court refused to grant bail to Kailash, who belongs to Maudaha in Hamirpur district.
