The DMK-led Tamil Nadu government has filed an affidavit with the Supreme Court saying that there is nothing illegal in the acts of missionaries spreading Christianity as Article 25 guarantees every citizen to propagate his/her religion.
The affidavit was filed by the Tamil Nadu government in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
The PIL sought to declare fraudulent conversion and conversion by intimidation, threat, deception and allurement (through gifts and monetary benefits), as violation of fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. It also called for directing the Centre and states to take stringent steps against fraudulent and forced religious conversion.
The DMK government in its reply said “The acts of missionaries spreading Christianity by itself cannot be seen as something against law. But if their act of spreading their religion is against public order, morality and health and to the other provisions of Part III of the Constitution, it has to be viewed seriously.”.
The DMK government also said that in Tamil Nadu, there have been no incidents of forced conversion in the past many years.
On the petitioner’s contention that means like “intimidation, threat, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits” were used for conversions, the DMK government said that those allegations are related to some incidents only in certain tribal areas in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and India’s Hindi belt and, it did not apply to Tamil Nadu.
It also said that anti-conversion laws are prone to misuse against minorities and that citizens should be allowed to freely choose their religion adding that it would not be appropriate if the government put spokes to their beliefs and privacy.
Upadhyay in his petition had also mentioned about the alleged forced conversion and the suicide case of the 17-yr-old Lavanya from Thanjavur which is currently under the purview of Central Bureau of Investigation.
Calling the plea by Upadhyay as “religiously motivated petition”, the DMK government while urging to dismiss the plea, said the petitioner has abused particular religions and has sought orders in tune with his policies.
(With inputs from Deccan Herald)
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