Tamil Nadu: DMK govt opposes anti-conversion laws, backs Christian missionaries

The Tamil Nadu government has filed an affidavit before the Supreme Court of India, claiming that Christian missionaries in Tamil Nadu are not doing anything illegal.

Citing Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, the DMK-led-government claimed, “The acts of missionaries spreading Christianity by itself cannot be seen as something against law.” The Tamil Nadu government also submitted that there have been no cases of forced religious conversions in Tamil Nadu.

While opposing anti-conversion laws, it claimed that such laws are ‘prone to misuse’ against religious minorities. The Tamil Nadu government added that the Constitution does not grant power to courts to direct the framing of law and that it is the prerogative of the State Assembly and Parliament to make laws.

The #Constitution of #India gives people a right to “spread their religion peacefully” and “change their beliefs”, #TamilNadu Govt submits in the #SupremeCourt |https://t.co/CNjXKkHI6t

— Utkarsh Anand (@utkarsh_aanand) May 1, 2023

It also said, “As a secular nation, every citizen of India has the right to freedom of religion i.e. right to follow any religion. As one can find so many religions being practiced in India, the constitution guarantees to every citizen the liberty to follow the religion of their choice.”

Advocate and BJP leader, Ashwini Upadhyay, had filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) before the Supreme Court seeking its direction to the Law Commission of India to prepare a draft on anti-conversion law.

Upadhyay cited the infamous case of Lavanya, who allegedly committed suicide after being forced to convert to Christianity, and asked the apex court to direct the Tamil Nadu government to stop forced/ fraudulent conversions by Christian missionaries in the State.

Tamil Nadu govt accuses petitioner of fueling religious intolerance

CM Stalin-led Tamil Nadu government has accused Ashwini Upadhyay of filing a ‘politically motivated’ PIL and fueling ‘religious intolerance’ against a particular religion.

“The prayers sought by the Petitioner in the present Writ Petition not only attack a specific community with intentions to divide the society through hate, fuelling religious intolerance in the country, bringing disharmony in the society,” it had claimed.

“The Writ Petition has been drafted with the sole intention to defame a particular faith by making shocking allegations without providing any supporting data or document”, the Tamil Nadu government said in its affidavit.

Source: OpIndia