Anti-conversion laws undermine fundamental rights: Derek
Times of India | 8 December 2024
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress leader in Rajya Sabha Derek O'Brien on Friday pitched for the removal of anti-conversion laws, which he said led to "harassment, communal tensions, and violation of individual autonomy".
O'Brien wrote on his blog, "Anti-conversion laws date back to the 1960s, but there have been some recent instances of passing these laws in the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. These laws undermine the fundamental rights of freedom of religion and privacy guaranteed by the Constitution under Article 25 and Article 21."
"By requiring prior notice or state approval for conversions, these laws impose paternalistic restrictions, often leading to harassment, communal tensions, and violation of individual autonomy. They disproportionately target interfaith marriages and perpetuate discriminatory stereotypes like ‘love jihad'. These laws promote a surveillance-like state over a deeply personal choice, which is antithetical to the secular and democratic ethos of our great nation," he added.
He also demanded repealing three other laws — police custody in BNSS, UAPA and Bombay Prevention of Begging Act, 1959. Derek said that under BNSS, the statutory 15-day police remand after arrest can now be "fragmented and spread across the entire remand period," which can "lead to prolonged and intermittent custody, increasing the risk of custodial abuse, violation of individual rights, and undermining safeguards against arbitrary detention".
UAPA, he argued, "in its current form, creates a draconian environment where dissent was being criminalised, and fundamental freedoms denied to citizens".
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