The Allahabad High Court will hear the pleas challenging the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 on January 15.
The Uttar Pradesh Government sought to dismiss all the petitions against the Ordinance, citing the hearings being held in the Supreme Court. This order has been given by the division bench of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice SS Shamsheri.
A counter-affidavit was filed by the state government and the Supreme Court was informed of the action on the petition filed in the same case. It was told that even the Supreme Court has not issued an interim order on the implementation of the law.
The anti-conversion law has been challenged in the petitions, calling it against the Constitution and not necessary. The petitioner stated that the law is contrary to the fundamental right of the individual to live and adopt any religion on his own choice and terms. Since it violates personal freedom, it should be repealed as it can be misused.
The UP government said the law has been brought in to prevent conversion for marriage and create challenges to law and order, which is completely constitutional. This does not violate the basic rights of anyone. But civil rights have been protected. Through this, a system has been put in place to ban conversion through deceit.