New Delhi (India), May 1, 2023: The Tamil Nadu government has defended the act of missionaries spreading Christianity, stating that such activities cannot be deemed illegal as Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to propagate their religion. However, if such activities are in violation of public order, morality, or health, then they must be dealt with seriously, the State told the Supreme Court.
Senior advocate P. Wilson, representing Tamil Nadu, emphasized that every individual has the right to preach their belief system without resorting to intimidation, threats, deceit, allurement, superstition, or black magic. The Constitution also upholds an individual’s right to choose their religion and to convert to any religion of their choice.
The State further stressed that citizens should be free to choose their religion and that the government must not interfere with their personal beliefs and privacy. The right to have faith in a particular religion is an inviolable right under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The State’s response was to a petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, seeking an NIA/CBI investigation into the “root cause” of the death of a 17-year-old girl in Tamil Nadu amid accusations that she had been forced to convert to Christianity. The State submitted that forcible or deceitful religious conversion was not prevalent in Tamil Nadu.
The Tamil Nadu government has defended the right of missionaries to spread Christianity, as enshrined in the Constitution, and emphasized the importance of upholding individual rights and freedom of choice when it comes to religion.
