SC issues notices to 12 States on petition by church body against anti-conversion laws, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Supreme Court is examining the validity of anti-conversion laws enacted by 12 States in India.
• The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) filed a petition alleging these laws encourage violence against minorities.
• States under scrutiny include Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan.
• The Supreme Court issued a notice to the Union government through the Ministry of Law and Justice.

Detailed Insights:

• The NCCI argues that the structure of these anti-conversion laws incentivizes vigilante groups to commit violence against minorities, leading to potential false arrests based on complaints.
• The Solicitor-General representing the Central government claims the petitioner's submissions are not factually correct, asserting the issue is covered under a previous Constitution Bench judgment.
• The 1977 Rev. Stainislaus v State of Madhya Pradesh case affirmed that the right to propagate religion under Article 25 does not include the right to convert others.
• Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees the freedom of conscience and free profession, practice, and propagation of religion to all citizens.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Article 25: Guarantees freedom of religion, but its interpretation regarding conversion is contested.
• Anti-conversion laws: State laws regulating religious conversions, often aiming to prevent forced or fraudulent conversions.
• Vigilante groups: Groups that undertake law enforcement without legal authority.