Fresh plea in Supreme Court seeks direction to amend IPC, CrPC to stop religious conversions

New Delhi: A fresh application has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking direction to amend the Indian Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) to stop religious conversion by "intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits". The application has been filed by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay in a pending plea, saying he submitted a detailed representation to the Union ministries of home and law and justice on August 31, 2022, on the issue of conversion.

He has also sought direction from the Centre to review the Visa Rules for religious preachers and foreign missionaries, and Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) rules for foreign-funded NGOs and individuals.

"Petitioner submits that Hindus have become a minority in many states due to religious conversion by intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts, monetary benefits, offering other help like school admission/medical benefits and using superstition and black magic," the application, filed through advocate Ashwani Dubey, said.

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Forced religious conversion may pose a danger to national security and impinge on the religious freedom of citizens, the top court had earlier said and asked the Centre to step in and make sincere efforts to tackle the "very serious" issue.

The court had warned a "very difficult situation" will emerge if proselytisation through deception, allurement and intimidation is not stopped.

"The issue concerning the alleged conversion of religion, if it is found to be correct and true, is a very serious issue which may ultimately affect the security of the nation as well as the freedom of religion and conscience of the citizens," it had said.

The court had asked Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to enumerate measures to curb the practice and granted time to the Centre to file its response on the issue while posting the matter for hearing on November 28.