Hindus in India to become minority if conversions go on: Allahabad HC
Uttar Pradesh’s Additional Advocate General PK Giri told the court that a large number of people were being converted to Christianity at such gatherings
India’s majority population will be reduced to a minority if religious congregations where religious conversations are taking place are not stopped, the Allahabad High Court has warned.
Justice Rohit Rajan Agarwal made the observation after hearing on Monday (July 1) the bail petition of a man named Kailash, who is accused of ferrying people from Hamirpur in Uttar Pradesh to Delhi for conversions. The bail plea was rejected.
Ramphal converted?
The court order says that according to the FIR, Kailash took Ramkali Prajapati’s brother Ramphal to Delhi and the latter never returned.
Ramphal, the FIR said, was suffering from mental illness, and Kailash said he would be treated at a gathering in Delhi and return in a week. But he never did.
According to the FIR, many people from Hamirpur village were taken to Delhi and converted to Christianity.
Abduction charge
Kailash was arrested under charges of kidnapping and provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
The Uttar Pradesh government’s Additional Advocate General PK Giri told the court that a large number of people were being converted to Christianity at such gatherings.
He pointed to statements of witnesses who claimed that Kailash was being paid for bringing people from the village for alleged conversion.
Not converted: Counsel
Kailash’s counsel Saket Jaiswal said Ramphal was not converted to Christianity and had only attended a Christian gathering.
Justice Agarwal said Article 25 of the Constitution provides for freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion, but does not provide for conversion from one faith to another.
“The word ‘propagation’ means to promote but it does not mean to convert any person from his religion to another religion,” the order says.
Court’s warning
“If this process is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of this country would be in minority one day… Such religious congregation should be immediately stopped,” the court said, denying bail to Kailash.
The court similar conversion of Dalits and tribal people to Christianity was also taking place throughout Uttar Pradesh.
“This court, prima facie, finds that the applicant is not entitled to bail,” it said.
(With agency inputs)