The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a petition filed by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay seeking a direction to the Centre and states to control black magic, superstition and religious conversion by intimidating, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits.
A three-judge bench of Justice Rohinton Fali Nariman, Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice Hrishikesh Roy said there is a reason behind putting the word “propagate” in the Constitution of India.
The petition says that religious conversion by “carrot and stick” and “by hook or crook” not only offends Articles 14, 21, 25 but is also against the principles of secularism, which is an integral part of the basic structure of the Constitution.
However, the bench unhappy with the petition asked the counsel, “What kind of petition is that?”
Whereas, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayan sought consent of the bench to withdraw the petition, and said, “It has nothing to do with the marriage.”
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The bench dismissed the petition as withdrawn.
Addressing the media, Upadhyay said, “Tomorrow, I will approach Home Ministry, Law Ministry and Law Commission of India. I will approach SC again, if Centre won’t enact a Law to control these 3 menaces within 6 months.”