New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday noted that 'religious conversion is a serious issue which should not be given a political colour'. A bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar was hearing the petition a check on religious conversions through "intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits", while asking Attorney General R Venkataramani to assist as amicus curiae.
The court sought assistance from Attorney General R Venkataramani on a plea seeking direction to the Centre and states to take stringent steps to control fraudulent religious conversions. "We want your assistance also, AG. Religious conversions by force, allurement etc. There are ways and ways, anything by allurement, if that is happening, when what should be done? What are the corrective measures?" the bench said.
At the outset, senior advocate P Wilson, appearing for Tamil Nadu, called the petition a "politically motivated" PIL, insisting there was no question of such conversions in the state. Objecting to the remark, the bench told Wilson that he may have different reasons to be agitated but 'don't convert court proceedings into other things. We are concerned for the entire state. If it is happening in your state, it is bad. If not, good. Do not see it as targeting one state. Do not make it political."
The petition was filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, seeking direction from the Centre and states to take tough steps to control fraudulent religious conversions. The top court had also recently remarked that forced religious conversion may pose a danger to national security and impinge on the religious freedom of citizens. It had also asked the Centre to step in and make sincere efforts to tackle the "very serious" issue. It had further warned a "very difficult situation" will emerge if proselytisation through deception, allurement and intimidation is not stopped.