SCtransfers toitself pleas challenging law regulating conversion upon marriage

The Supreme Court on Tuesday transferred to itself the petitions pending before various High Courts in the BJP ruled states challenging the controversial laws regulating religious conversion upon interfaith marriages coupled with stringent provisions for bail and prolonged sentences.

- PARMOD KUMAR

Giving four weeks to the Centre, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand and Haryana to respond to the petitions and the related applications, a bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran also issued notice on the pleas seeking stay on the operation of the laws, posting the matter after six weeks for considering plea for stay. Telling the bench that the law under challenge is basically anti-conversion law titled as the Freedom of Religion Act in Uttar Pradesh, senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, appearing for one o