Lucknow: The Allahabad High Court has emphasized the need to stop religious gatherings where conversions occur, warning that the country's majority population could become a minority if such events continue. This statement came during the hearing of a bail petition for Kailash, accused of taking people from Hamirpur, Uttar Pradesh, to a conversion event in Delhi.
The court's order highlighted that, according to the FIR, Kailash took Ramkali Prajapati's brother Ramphal to Delhi, where he never returned. Ramphal, who had been suffering from mental illness, was allegedly taken by Kailash with the promise of treatment. However, when Ramphal did not come back, Kailash provided unsatisfactory answers.
The FIR further stated that several people from Hamirpur village were taken to Delhi and converted to Christianity. Kailash was arrested on charges of kidnapping and under the provisions of the UP Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021.
The Uttar Pradesh government's counsel, Additional Advocate General PK Giri, informed the court that large numbers of people were being converted to Christianity at such gatherings. Witnesses also claimed that Kailash had been transporting people for conversions and receiving payment in return.
Kailash's lawyer, Saket Jaiswal, argued that Ramphal was not converted but merely attended a Christian gathering. He mentioned that Sonu Pastor, who organized the gathering, had already been granted bail.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal noted in his order that Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of conscience and the free profession, practice, and propagation of religion, but does not permit conversion from one religion to another. The term "propagation" means to promote, not to convert individuals from one faith to another.
The court observed that Ramphal never returned to his village and that multiple witnesses accused Kailash of taking people for conversion. The court warned, "If this process is allowed, the majority population of this country could become a minority one day. Such religious gatherings should be immediately stopped where conversions are occurring."
The court denied bail to Kailash and noted, "This Court has observed in several cases that unlawful conversions of SC/ST and economically disadvantaged individuals to Christianity are happening rampantly across Uttar Pradesh."
Delhi High Court to Rule on BRS Leader K Kavitha's Bail Petitions in Excise Policy Case
Arvind Kejriwal Withdraws Supreme Court Plea, Plans Appeal Against High Court Order
CBI Arrests Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Amid Legal Battles