'Majority population of this country would be in minority one day': Allahabad HC's warning on religious conversions

Expressing concern over the rising numbers of religious conversions, the Allahabad High Court has warned that in case this trend continues, the majority population one day might end up being the minority. 

Judge Rohit Ranjan Agarwal made the comment while rejecting Kailash's bail request. Kailash is charged with converting a group of local Hindus to Christianity.

The court said, "If this process is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of this country would be in minority one day, and such religious congregation should be immediately stopped where the conversion is taking place and changing the religion of citizens of India," according to Bar and Bench.

The High Court declared that such actions directly infringed the right to religious freedom as guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution and imposed an immediate ban on religious assemblies where private discussions are held.

Subject to certain limitations, Article 25 guarantees people's freedom to practice, believe in and spread any religion.

The High Court ruled that propagation was to spread religious ideas rather than force someone to change their faith. It added that it had observed incidents in which the underprivileged in different regions of Uttar Pradesh were duped and persuaded to become Christians.

In light of the gravity of the discussion claims, the court denied Kailash, a resident of Maudaha in the Hamirpur district, bail.

Kailash was charged with FIR by resident Ramkali Prajapati after the latter brought his mentally ill brother to Delhi for a week. According to the FIR, the accused did not return despite his promise to heal his brother and transfer him back to the village.

Upon his return, Kailash brought the whole village's population to an event held in Delhi, where they were reportedly converted to Christianity. Prajapati's brother was allegedly promised money in return for his conversion, according to the FIR.