Petitions before Allahabad High Court challenging UP anti-conversion ordinance withdrawn; notice issued on one petition challenging Act

The petitions before the Allahabad High Court challenging the constitutional validity of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020, were withdrawn on Wednesday since the legislature had already passed a law in this regard. .The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Yadav and Justice Siddharth Varma said it would dismiss the matter after counsel for the petitioners sought adjournment citing unavailability of Senior Counsel. "We cannot do this, we can allow you to withdraw and file fresh," the Bench said.The bench remarked that those petitions which have challenged the 'ordinance' would be dismissed because the ordinance has now become an Act. In this regard, all petitions which challenged the ordinance were dismissed as withdrawn. .The Court, however, issued notice on a petition filed by Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives (AALI) which has challenged the law - the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2021..Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for another petitioner, informed the court that her client has challenged the Act. Accordingly, the Court issued notice and granted four weeks time to file rejoinder and counters.The Ordinance was challenged before the Allahabad High Court on the ground that it is violative of privacy and individual autonomy guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India. The High Court had issued notice in the matter on December 18, 2020..Subsequently, petitions also came to be filed before the Supreme Court challenging the UP Ordinance as well as a similar law enacted by Uttarakhand in 2018..The Supreme Court, on January 6, issued notice to the UP and Uttarakhand governments on the challenge to the laws but declined to stay them..The Ordinance lays down a detailed procedure to be followed before an individual can convert from one religion to another. Violation of the same entails criminal liability on the individual who undergoes conversion and the individual who converts the person..It also states that no person shall convert or attempt to convert either directly or otherwise any other person from one religion to another by use or practice of misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage nor shall any person abet, convince or conspire such conversion..Uttar Pradesh ordinance on Religious Conversion explained [Read Ordinance]

Petitions before Allahabad High Court challenging UP anti-conversion ordinance withdrawn; notice issued on one petition challenging Act

Areeb Uddin Ahmed

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