The bench of Chief Justice SA Bobde has issued notice on the petition challenging the constitutional validity of the conversion laws of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
According to the Live Law website, a bench of Justices SA Bobde, Justice V Ramasubramanian and AS Bopanna heard the petitions of Vishal Thackeray and others and Teesta Setalvad’s NGO Citizen for Justice and Peace.
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However, the Bench refused to grant a stay on the provision that it is necessary to get permission for marriage before conversion.
In November, the Uttar Pradesh government brought the ‘Prohibition of Unlawful Religion Prohibition Ordinance 2020’, according to which, if a person marries merely for conversion or forcibly commits conversion, he / she can be punished for ten years.
It has also been said in this law that if a person wants to change his religion on his own free will, he has to give it to the DM or ADM 60 days in advance.
At the same time, in the Freedom of Religion Act 2018 of Uttarakhand, if there is a marriage or forced conversion, then it will be considered illegal.
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According to Live Law, at the Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday, the bench did not want to hear the matter first and asked the petitioners to go to their respective high courts.
But the lawyers associated with these petitions emphasized that they are challenging the law of two states, due to which a wider problem is being created in the society. Lawyers said that Madhya Pradesh and Haryana are also bringing similar laws.
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The lawyers said that when the matter is going on in more than one High Court, it is better that the Supreme Court take cognizance of that case.
After this, the bench issued a notice to which the states have to reply in four weeks.
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