Stop SC benefits to converted Christians, HC instructs UP; terms retention ‘fraud’

PRAYAGRAJ: Allahabad precocious tribunal has directed the Uttar Pradesh govt to guarantee that anyone who converts to Christianity automatically forfeits each Scheduled Caste benefits, failing which it would beryllium construed arsenic a “fraud connected the Constitution and contrary to the ethos of preservation policies”.Justice Praveen Kumar Giri’s Nov 21 bid cites Paragraph 3 of the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, specifying that cipher different than a Hindu, Sikh oregon Buddhist tin beryllium deemed a subordinate of an Scheduled Caste community.The tribunal directed the main caput of the minorities payment section to instrumentality due steps to guarantee that the favoritism betwixt number and SC presumption was strictly enforced.The tribunal said retention of SC presumption aft conversion would magnitude to fraudulently claiming benefits since determination is nary caste strategy successful Christianity.It fixed a timeline of 4 months for each territory magistrates to enactment successful accordance with the instrumentality to place and forestall specified occurrences.Justice Giri passed the bid portion dismissing a plea filed by a antheral accused of “mocking Hindu deities” and promoting enmity.The appellant, Jitendra Sahani, had petitioned the tribunal to quash the complaint expanse successful the lawsuit connected the crushed that helium had sought support from the authorities to “preach the words of Jesus Christ connected my land”.

Justice Giri noted that Sahani mentioned his religion arsenic “Hindu” successful his affidavit, though helium had converted to Christianity.It transpired that the appellant was from the SC assemblage earlier his conversion.A witnesser successful the lawsuit alleged that Sahani ridiculed the Hindu religion by claiming it offered nary respect owed to caste hierarchies, whereas embracing Christianity would pb to “jobs, concern maturation and fiscal benefits from the missionaries”.The tribunal mentioned a caller Supreme Court judgement – C Selvarani Vs peculiar secretary-cum-district collector 2024 – successful which the seat held that a idiosyncratic ceases to beryllium to a peculiar caste aft converting to Christianity.