New Delhi, Mar 12: A PIL was moved in the Delhi High Court on Thursday seeking directions to the Centre to take appropriate steps for stopping religious conversion of socially and economically downtrodden people, particularly of the Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe community.
The plea claims that the government has done nothing to stop religious conversions.
The plea is listed before a bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar on Friday.
The petition, by BJP leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, alleges that many individuals, NGOs and institutions are converting downtrodden persons by "intimidating, threatening, luring by monetary benefits and by other acts, including miracle healing, black magic and more".
"Many individuals/organizations have started conversions of SC/STs in rural areas and the situation is very alarming. The mass religious conversion of the socially economically downtrodden men, women and children, and, in particular of the scheduled caste and scheduled tribe community, is on the rise in the last 20 years," the petition claims.
It further claims as per the 2011 census, Hindus constitute 79 per cent of the population down from 86 per cent in 2001 and if no action is taken "Hindus will become minority in India".
Upadhyay suggested enacting of a law to prevent conversions by force or deceit and to award jail term for any violation.
"Additionally, the State may empower the National Human Rights Commission to deal with the affairs of religious groups and analyse religious discrimination among them," he suggests.
Apart from seeking steps to prevent religious conversions by force, threats or deceit, the petition also wants directions prohibiting religious gatherings "intended to mislead people by making false and untenable claims" to lure ignorant masses to join a particular faith or religious group.
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Creating all bogus claims
Useless MLA Fit for nothing. running his fathers dynasty..
Terrorist Poojari having terror links with rightwing terror groups cannot be ruled out. Today Siddaramayya admitted that RSS and BD memebers are terrorist. But sad part is that our judicial system could not able to ban them due to the monopoly of rightwing groups within the system. On the other hand Zakir Naik was framed under the strategy who was not proved yet guilty and become the target of communal govt merely for popularity who sheltering domestic terror groups. On one zide domestic terrorism on full swing but not banned and on the other side ZN banned for nothing. This is Indian communal Democracy.
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