‘Every charity or good work is welcome, but the intention has to be checked’, the Supreme Court orally observed on Monday while hearing a petition filed by BJP leader and Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay seeking to curb forced religious conversions.
Justice MR Shah, the presiding judge of the bench, said that alluring people to convert to other religions by offering medicines and food grains is a ‘very serious’ issue.
“If you believe that particular persons should be helped, help them but it can’t be for conversion. Allurement is very dangerous. It is a very serious issue and is against the basic structure of our Constitution. Everyone who stays in India, will have to act as per the culture of India.”
The Centre told the court it is collecting information from states on religious conversion through such means.
The apex court will now take up the matter on December 12.