On July 01, 2024 (Monday), the Allahabad High Court (HC) observed that the present trend of conversions during religious congregations is required to be stopped immediately otherwise ‘the majority population of this country would be in minority one day’. It said, “If this process is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of this country would be in minority one day, and such religious congregation should be immediately stopped where the conversion is taking place and changing religion of citizen of India.”
This was observed by Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal while dismissing the bail plea of an accused (Kailash) who has been booked under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021. During the proceedings, the Learned Additional Advocate General said that after considering various statements of witnesses, it has been determined that “the applicant-Kailash had been taking away people from the village for converting them into Christianity, and for this act he was being paid huge money.”
The HC also pointed out that such religious conversions are against the Constitutional mandate of Article 25 which deals with ‘Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice and propagation of religion’. It said “Article 25 of the Constitution of India provides for Freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion, but it does not provide for conversion from one faith to another faith…The word ‘Propagation’ means to promote, but it does not mean to convert any person from his religion to another religion.” After hearing the matter, the HC bench said “This Court, prima facie, finds that the applicant is not entitled for bail. Hence, the bail application of the applicant involved in the aforesaid case crime is, hereby, rejected.”