GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th Nov. The Supreme Court on November 26 ruled that religious conversions solely undertaken to avail reservation benefits without a genuine belief in the adopted religion constitute a “fraud on the Constitution.” The bench, comprising Justices Pankaj Mithal and R. Mahadevan, upheld a Madras High Court order that denied a scheduled caste (SC) certificate to C. Selvarani, a woman who had converted to Christianity but later claimed to be Hindu to secure employment benefits.
Justice Mahadevan, in the 21-page verdict, emphasized that genuine religious conversion should be motivated by belief in the tenets of the religion, and not for ulterior motives like obtaining benefits of reservation. He noted that allowing individuals to avail such benefits without true belief undermines the social ethos behind the reservation policy.
The case revolved around Selvarani, who, despite being baptized as a Christian and practicing the faith by attending church regularly, sought an SC certificate claiming to be a Hindu. The court found her actions “untenable” and ruled that her dual claim of both Hinduism and Christianity for the purpose of reservation benefits was “fraudulent.”
The bench observed that once an individual converts to Christianity, they lose their caste identity and cannot claim SC benefits unless there is substantial evidence of reconversion to Hinduism. Selvarani’s claims lacked public declarations, ceremonies, or credible documentation to support her assertion of reconversion.
The Court concluded that religious conversions for the sake of reservation benefits, without genuine belief, undermines the very purpose of affirmative action meant to uplift marginalized communities. It also emphasized that upon conversion to Christianity, an individual loses their caste identity, making claims of reconversion unsustainable without solid proof.
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