SC Seeks Uttar Pradesh Reply to Plea on Illegal Conversions
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the state asking for its response.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sought the Uttar Pradesh government’s response to a petition challenging certain provisions of the state’s amended 2024 law on unlawful religious conversion.
A two-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the state and tagged the petition for hearing alongside other pending challenges to the same law. The petition was filed by academician Roop Rekha Verma and others.
The petitioners contend that key provisions of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2024, are “vague and overly broad,” arguing that their ambiguity infringes upon free speech and the right to propagate religion. They assert that Sections 2 and 3 of the Act lack clear standards, making it difficult to determine what conduct constitutes an offence.
“This ambiguity infringes upon free speech and religious propagation, enabling arbitrary enforcement and discriminatory application,” the petition states. “Penal laws must be precise; vague provisions violate constitutional principles by granting excessive discretion to authorities, failing to provide reasonable notice, and risking wrongful prosecution of innocent individuals.”
The petition argues that the law violates Articles 14 (equality before the law), 19 (freedom of speech and expression), 21 (right to life and personal liberty), and 25 (freedom of religion) of the Constitution. Counsel for the state informed the court that similar challenges are already pending before a bench led by the Chief Justice of India. The Supreme Court had agreed to entertain this particular petition on May 2.
