'No Forced Conversion In Tamil Nadu'; 'Anti-Conversion Laws Prone To Misuse Against Minorities' Says DMK Government In Reply To PIL By Ashwini Upadhyay

In its response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Ashwini Upadhyay in the Supreme Court, seeking an order to the Law Commission to prepare an anti-conversion law and directions to the Centre and states to take steps to control forceful or fraudulent conversions, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government has submitted that there have been no cases of forcible conversion in Tamil Nadu in the past few years and that anti-conversion laws are prone to be misused against minorities.

The PIL was filed after the death of Lavanya, a 12th-standard student of Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School in Thanjavur district due to alleged pressure to convert to Christianity.

The case is currently being investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Reacting to the affidavit of the Tamil Nadu government, Upadhyay asked why is the government afraid of an anti-conversion law if there were no forced conversions in the state.

Also Read: Why 'Justice for Lavanya' May No Longer Be An Issue Of Tamil Nadu Only