Shimla: With a Christian outfit having challenged the constitutional validity of HP Freedom of Religion Act, 2006 in the High Court here, former union minister and Janta Party president Subramanian Swamy after impleading before the court yesterday has been permitted to assist the court in the case.
As the petition involves constitutional provisions, the division bench comprising of Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice VK Ahuja after considering the application of Swamy moved through his lawyer Ajay Paul Jagga partially allowed his plea but not make him a party to the case. The next hearing of the case has been listed for June 12.
Having been termed as an anti-conversion law, the court last year had admitted a petition by the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) arguing that the HP Freedom of Religion Act of 2006 violated the fundamental right of freedom of conscience and freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion under Article 25 of the Indian constitution.
The petitioners have pointed out before the court that under the HP Act, any person wishing to convert to another religion needs to give a prior notice of at least 30 days to district authorities.
Section 3 of the Act prohibits conversion “by the use of force or by inducement or by any other fraudulent means” and states that a person who is converted by unfair means shall not be considered converted.
Further, any offence under Section 3 is punishable with imprisonment up to two years and / or a fine up to 25,000 rupees.
In case of conversion of a minor, woman, Dalit or tribal, the imprisonment could extend to three years and the fine go up to 50,000 rupees.
The contentious anti-conversion law was enacted by a Congress government in the year 2006.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
these religious bodies should also not be allowed to get funds from foreign countries. their source of fund is mafia thru vatican bank or some other black money
Hindus must be protected from conversion. There is no problem that Hinduism can not solve so there is no need for conversions.
High time, we Hindus rise up and fight against pseudo secularism in India. In the name of helping minority our politicians are raising and sheltering devils. If situation arises these politicians will even convert to other religion…Time has come to protect dignity of Hinduism or else we will be soon a minority in India.