The Allahabad High Court has said that religious gatherings resulting in conversions should be stopped immediately, warning that the majority population could become a minority one day. Justice Rohit Rajan Agarwal made this observation while denying bail to a man accused of participating in the religious conversion of villagers from UP.

“The word ‘propagation’ means to promote, but it does not mean to convert any person from his religion to another religion,” the court said.

“In the instant case, there are serious allegations against the applicant by the informant that her brother, along with several others, were taken from their village to attend a gathering in New Delhi and converted to Christianity. The brother of the informant never returned,” it said.

“If this process is allowed to be carried out, the majority population of this country would be in the minority one day. Such religious congregations should be immediately stopped where conversions are taking place,” the court observed.

In its order, the high court noted that statements of the accused, Kailash, revealed he had been taking people to religious gatherings in New Delhi, where they were being converted to Christianity.

“It has come to the notice of this court in several cases that unlawful activity of converting SC/ST people and other castes, including economically poor persons, to Christianity is being done at rampant pace throughout Uttar Pradesh.

“This court, prima facie, finds that the applicant is not entitled to bail. Hence, the bail application of the applicant involved in the aforesaid case crime is hereby, rejected,” it said.

A case was filed against Kailash at Maudaha police station in Hamirpur district in 2023. According to the FIR, Kailash allegedly took a man to Delhi to a gathering. Several others from the village were also taken to such gatherings where all of them were reportedly converted to Christianity.