A new bench of the Supreme Court led by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud will now hear petitions pending before it seeking measures to stop forcible and fraudulent religious conversions, reported The Indian Express.
The matter was earlier pending before a Bench presided by Justice M R Shah.
The cause list for Monday showed that the matter is listed along with petitions challenging laws against religious conversions in different states before the CJI-led Bench, also comprising Justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala.
Earlier, in November, the Supreme Court had said that forced religious conversion may pose a danger to national security and impinge on religious freedom of citizens, and that the Centre must step in and tackle the “serious issue”.
“The issue with respect to 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,” a bench of Justices M R Shah and Hima Kohli had said, as quoted by PTI.
“This is a very serious matter. Sincere efforts are to be made by the Centre to stop forced conversions. Otherwise very difficult situation will come. Tell us what action do you propose….You have to step in,” the bench observed.
Tha apex court was hearing a plea filed by advocate and BJP leader Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay who sought directions to the Centre and state to take strict steps to control fraudulent religious conversion by “intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits”.
In the last hearing on January 9, the apex court had asked Attorney General of India R Venkataramani to assist the court in the plea of forceful conversions, reported Live Law.
The bench of Justices MR Shah and CT Ravikumar also changed the case title of the PIL filed by Upadhyay to “In Re: Issue of religious conversion”. The matter was posted to February 7.
While the top court bench said that the issue of forceful religious conversion is a “serious matter”, senior advocate P Wilson appearing for state of Tamil Nadu said that the matter should be left up to the legislature, adding that the plea was politically motivated.