A petition was filed on Thursday in the Supreme Court to declare two ordinances, passed separately by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, criminalising religious conversion through marriage as unconstitutional.
Two advocates and a law researcher have approached the court against the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition Of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018.
Advocates Vishal Thakre, A.S. Yadav and researcher, Pranvesh, represented by advocates Sanjeev Malhotra and Pradeep Kumar Yadav, said the ordinances go against the fundamental right to personal liberty, dignity and choice of companion.
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The petition said the court should direct the States to arrest their implementation as these laws were against public policy and the society at large.
“These laws will create fear in the society and become a potent tool in the hands of bad elements in the society to falsely implicate anyone. A grave injustice will be done by the ordinances... They will create a chaotic situation in the society,” the petition said.
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The petition said the law of the Centre would prevail if any State law was inconsistent with it.