Thread by @barandbench

Delhi High Court will hear today BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay's plea to prohibit religious conversion through intimidation, threats or through use of "black magic and superstitions".
#DelhiHighCourt @AshwiniUpadhyay #conversion

The petition says that Centre and Delhi Government has done nothing to stop these forceful conversions. Upadhyay seeks a direction to Centre to form a committee to draft a Conversion of Religion Act.
#DelhiHighCourt @AshwiniUpadhyay #conversion

The plea will be heard by a Division Bench of Justices Sanjeev Sachdeva and Tushar Rao Gedela.
#DelhiHighCourt #conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Court is on item 5. Upadhyay's petition is listed as Item 13.

#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion

Court is on item 11 now.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Court takes up item 12. Upadhyay's plea is next matter on the board.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Hearing starts. Upadhyay appears in person. Advocate Santosh Kumar Tripathi for State of Delhi.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Bench: What do you want? What is the issue? We will come back and take it up.
Court breaks for lunch.

#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Bench has assembled.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Upadhyay begins his submissions. He refers to a judgement of the SC.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

ASG: Chetan Sharma appears of Centre.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Bench: What are you seeking? What is the foundation for this prayer? There has to be some basis? There is no material basis on record.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

U: Delhi has become a hub for conversion by foreign funded NGOs.
Bench: We will have it after vacation.

U: Please issue notice.
Bench: How can we issue notice. There is nothing on record. You have just given three judgments. There is nothing to substantiate any of this.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

J Gedela: Where are the instances? Either you amend your petition. We will have it after vacations.
J Sachdeva: You have given nothing. Where are the statistics? What page?
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

J Sachdeva: You are saying mass conversions. Where have these conversions happened? You are saying carrot and stick. We are not commenting on your bona fide. This court has to be satisfied to even issue notice.

J Sachdeva: We are willing to hear you in detail. If we are satisfied we will issue notice...
Upadhyay requests for a direction to Delhi Police to submit a response with details.

Upadhyay: I have data from social media.
J Sachdeva: social media is not data. Things can be morphed there. Conversion is not prohibited. It is a right of person to profess any religion or chose any religion. That is the constitutional right.

J Sachdeva: Each religion has beliefs. If someone is forced to convert that is different but to convert is a person's prerogative.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Upadhyay requests for Centre to come up with response.
J Sachdeva: What you can't get directly can't be given indirectly. This requires deeper consideration. Newspaper, whatsapp, social media may or may not contain facts but they can't be basis for petition.

ASG: The tenor of his petition is conversion which is not of free will. This is about forced.
J Sachdeva: There has to be some basis and material for this.
ASG: I am sure he will collate material and further bolster the petition for the court to take a view.

ASG: Issue raised is important.
J Sachdeva: Yes, that is why we want to have a deeper examination. Government can take action if they want.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

Court lists the matter for hearing on July 25.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay

hearing over.
#DelhiHighCourt #Conversion @AshwiniUpadhyay