Express News Service
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu submitted an affidavit with the Supreme Court stating that there is nothing illegal in the acts of missionaries spreading Christianity unless they employ unlawful means to do so and it is against public order, morality and health.
This was in response to a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, which sought to declare fraudulent conversion and conversion by intimidation, threat, deception and luring through gifts and monetary benefits violative of the fundamental rights of the Constitution. Upadhyay had also sought for directing the Centre and states to take stringent steps to fight fraudulent religious conversion.
The state government maintained there are no incidents of forceful conversion in the past few years, adding the Constitution of India does not give the fundamental right to any person to turn another man into one’s religion but it gives the right to a person to propagate, spread his religion peacefully and change their beliefs.
“The acts of missionaries spreading Christianity by itself cannot be seen as something against the law. But if their act of spreading their religion is against public order, morality and health and the other provisions of Part Ill of the Constitution it has to be viewed seriously. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, there have been no incidents of forceful conversion reported in the past many years,” the affidavit said.
Maintaining a stand that “anti-conversion laws are prone to misuse against minorities,” the TN government said citizens should be allowed to freely choose their religion and it would not be appropriate if the government put spokes to their beliefs and privacy.
In the affidavit, the state has also denied Upadhyay’s claims regarding the death of minor girl Lavanya that she was allegedly forced to convert by the Christian institution where she was studying. “The CBI is still investigating and as per the investigation done by the state police, there is no concrete proof or clinching evidence that she died by suicide because of forced conversion, the affidavit said. Terming the plea as ‘politically motivated’, TN while urging to dismiss the plea, said the petitioner has abused particular religions and has sought orders in tune with his policies.
NEW DELHI: Tamil Nadu submitted an affidavit with the Supreme Court stating that there is nothing illegal in the acts of missionaries spreading Christianity unless they employ unlawful means to do so and it is against public order, morality and health.
This was in response to a PIL filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, which sought to declare fraudulent conversion and conversion by intimidation, threat, deception and luring through gifts and monetary benefits violative of the fundamental rights of the Constitution. Upadhyay had also sought for directing the Centre and states to take stringent steps to fight fraudulent religious conversion.
The state government maintained there are no incidents of forceful conversion in the past few years, adding the Constitution of India does not give the fundamental right to any person to turn another man into one’s religion but it gives the right to a person to propagate, spread his religion peacefully and change their beliefs.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
“The acts of missionaries spreading Christianity by itself cannot be seen as something against the law. But if their act of spreading their religion is against public order, morality and health and the other provisions of Part Ill of the Constitution it has to be viewed seriously. As far as Tamil Nadu is concerned, there have been no incidents of forceful conversion reported in the past many years,” the affidavit said.
Maintaining a stand that “anti-conversion laws are prone to misuse against minorities,” the TN government said citizens should be allowed to freely choose their religion and it would not be appropriate if the government put spokes to their beliefs and privacy.
In the affidavit, the state has also denied Upadhyay’s claims regarding the death of minor girl Lavanya that she was allegedly forced to convert by the Christian institution where she was studying. “The CBI is still investigating and as per the investigation done by the state police, there is no concrete proof or clinching evidence that she died by suicide because of forced conversion, the affidavit said. Terming the plea as ‘politically motivated’, TN while urging to dismiss the plea, said the petitioner has abused particular religions and has sought orders in tune with his policies.
