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Satya Prakash
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, December 3
Ahead of the December 5 listening to on a PIL in opposition to pressured and fraudulent spiritual conversion, the Gujarat Government instructed the Supreme Court that the suitable to freedom of faith doesn’t embrace a elementary proper to transform different folks to a specific faith.
“The said right (to freedom of religion) certainly does not include the right to convert an individual through fraud, deception, coercion, allurement or other such means,” Bharat Vaishnav, Additional Secretary (Law & Order), Home Department, Government of Gujarat stated in an affidavit filed within the prime courtroom.
The affidavit has been filed in response to a PIL by Delhi BJP chief Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay looking for a route to the Centre and states to take measures to test forcible and fraudulent spiritual conversion by risk and inducements.
“The meaning and purport of the word ‘propagate’ falling under Article 25 of the Constitution was discussed and debated in great detail in the constituent assembly and the inclusion of the said word was passed by the constituent assembly only after the clarification that the fundamental right under Article 25 would not include the right to convert,” the Gujarat Government affidavit learn.
It sought to defend the Gujarat Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2021, sure provisions of which have been stayed by the state excessive courtroom in August 2021, saying, “…the steps stipulated therein are the precautions to ensure that the process of renouncing one religion and adopting another religion is genuine, voluntary and bona fide and at the same time, free from any force, allurement and fraudulent means.” It additionally identified that the Gujarat High Court was coping with the identical problem which the highest courtroom was seized of.
A Bench led by Justice MR Shah – which had on November 14 described pressured spiritual conversion as a “very serious” matter affecting the safety of the nation – is predicted to take up the matter on Monday.
The prime courtroom had on November 28 requested the Centre to collate data obtained from all states on the steps taken by them on this regard.
Maintaining that nobody has a elementary proper to transform others, the Centre had earlier assured the Supreme Court that it will take severe measures to test pressured and fraudulent spiritual conversions.
Asserting that the federal government was cognisant of the gravity and the seriousness of the difficulty raised within the petition, the MHA stated, “The relief sought in the present petition would be taken up in all seriousness by the Union of India and appropriate steps shall be taken as the Central Government is cognisant of the menace.”
“Forced conversion is a serious menace, a national issue… In its affidavit, the Centre has mentioned that laws seeking to control such practices are necessary to protect the cherished rights of vulnerable sections of society,” Solicitor basic Tushar Mehta had stated.
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