New Delhi: A fresh plea filed by a Hindu priest in the Supreme Court has sought ban on forceful religious conversion. The application has been filed by Hindu religious guru, Swami Jeetendranand Sarswatee. In the plea, Sarswatee contended that Article 25 of the Constitution gives right to religion and “not right to conversion”.
He said that “due to the centre's inaction, many mosques and churches have become the epicentre of religious conversion by converting an economically weaker section of the society”. The petitioner said that, “Women and children are the main targets of missionaries for religious conversion. Mass conversion of socially, economically underprivileged and downtrodden people of the country by using force is being carried out”.
Also read: We are not against religious conversion but conversion by force: SC tells Centre
"In their zeal of converting people to their own religion, both Muslims and Christians killed billions of people, raped millions of women and destroyed millions of temples and other worship centres," the plea said. "It is submitted that the right to protect religion is a fundamental right of every person but for centuries, a kind of biological and ethical invasion is going on by the Hindus with the intention to disturb communal harmony and integrity of India.
Such religious conversions are being done by way of love Jihad or by the allurement of divine pleasure or displeasure or in the name of charity, education, jobs, money, medical facilities or by force or fraud and their victims may be of any cast or community," it added.
An earlier plea in the matter was filed by BJP member and advocate Ashwini Upadhyay in the matter. The matter has been heard in SC and the court has expressed its concern regarding forceful conversion, seeking a response from the centre.
