Politics
Jamait Ulama-I-Hind Moves Supreme Court Challenging The Validity Of Anti Conversion Laws
Swarajya Staff
Jan 06, 2023, 03:08 PM | Updated 03:08 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Jamait Ulama-I-Hind has moved the Supreme Court challenging the constitutionality of the anti-conversion law passed by Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
The petition has been filed in the form of a PIL (public interest litigation) contesting the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021, the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018, the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019, the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2021, and the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021.
The anti-conversion legislations make concealing religious identity for marriage a criminal offence. In addition to that, prior information to the district magistrate is required to be made before conversion is done.
The Jamait’s plea contended that the obligation to reveal one’s religion constitutes a violation of their right to express their beliefs as the right to express belief also includes to not to express the same.
Furthermore, they have argued that the legislation entitles the family members to lodge an FIR (first information report), thereby allowing the family members to harass the converts and therefore there is anticipation that the act can be misused by disgruntled family members.
They have also argued that the interfaith couples frequently experience the worst treatment from the community, to the point where families commit "honour killings", executing their own relatives who dared to wed outside of their faith.
It was also said that the majority of the time, even when a person changes on his or her own free will, the convert's family members object to the conversion.
Several other aspects of the legislations have also been challenged in the PIL.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.