• UGI USER
  • Jul 02, 2024
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ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT REJECTS BAIL FOR UNLAWFUL RELIGIOUS CONVERSION ACCUSATIONS

Why in the news?

  • The Allahabad High Court’s decision highlights concerns over religious conversions and interprets Article 25, emphasising freedom of practice but not conversion.
  • Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal warned that unchecked religious conversions could lead to the majority becoming a minority in India.

About the Uttar Pradesh’s Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021:

  • Anti-Conversion Law: Enacted in 2021 for Uttar Pradesh.
  • Prohibitions: Conversion by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, or fraudulent means.
  • Section 3(1): Conversion through marriage is illegal.
  • Section 6: Marriages solely for conversion are void.
  • Section 4: Relatives can lodge FIRs against illegal conversions.
  • Punishments:
  • General: 1-5 years imprisonment, ₹15,000 fine.
  • Special Cases: 2-10 years, ₹25,000 fine.
  • Mass Conversion: 3-10 years, ₹50,000 fine.
About Religious Conversions:

  • Definition: Switching from one religious denomination to another, adopting new beliefs exclusive to the new faith.
  • Challenge: Forceful conversions violate Fundamental Rights.

o   Article 14: Equality before the law.

o   Article 21: Right to life.

o   Article 25: Freedom of conscience, profession, practice, and propagation of religion.

About Freedom of religion in the constitution of India:

  • Article 25: Freedom of conscience, profession, practice, and propagation of religion.
  • Article 26: Freedom to manage religious affairs.
  • Article 27: Freedom from paying taxes for promoting any religion.
  • Article 28: Freedom regarding religious instruction or worship in certain educational institutions.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/discuss-briefly-the-right-to-freedom-of-religion-in-accordance-with-the-articles-of-indian-constitution/