National News
Right to freedom of religion doesn’t include a fundamental right to convert: Centre to SC

The Centre told the Supreme Court that the right to freedom of religion does not include a fundamental right to convert people to a particular religion.
The Centre’s response came on a plea by advocate Ashwini Upadhyay against fraudulent religious conversion and religious conversion by intimidation, threatening, deceivingly luring through gifts and monetary benefits, as it offends Articles 14, 21, and 25.
The plea claimed that if such conversions were not checked, Hindus would soon become a minority in India.
In an affidavit, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs said: “It is submitted that the right to freedom of religion does not include a fundamental right to convert other people to a particular religion. The said right certainly does not include the right to convert an individual through fraud, deception, coercion, allurement or other such means”.
The Central government said the petitioner has highlighted a large number of instances carried out in an organised, systematic and sophisticated manner of conversion of vulnerable citizens in the country through fraud, deception, coercion, allurement or other such means.
It further added that the meaning and purport of the word ‘propagate’ falling under Article 25 of the Constitution was discussed and debated in great detail in the constituent assembly and the inclusion of the said word was passed by the constituent assembly only after the clarification that the fundamental right under Article 25 would not include the right to convert.
The Centre said the apex court has held that the word ‘propagate’ does not envisage the right to convert a person rather is in the nature of the positive right to spread once religion by exposition of its tenets.
“This Court further held that fraudulent or induced conversion impinges upon the right to freedom of conscience of an individual apart from hampering public order and, therefore, the State was well within its power to regulate/restrict the same,” it added.
The Centre said it is cognizant of the gravity and the seriousness of the issue raised in the present writ petition and enactments are necessary for protecting cherished rights of vulnerable sections of the society including women and economically and socially backward classes.
“It is submitted that that public order is a state subject and in pursuance to the same various states over the course of the years passed enactments seeking to curb the practices highlighted in the present petition.”
The Centre said nine state governments have already have legislations in place on the present subject: Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Haryana.
It said that the reliefs sought in the present petition would be taken up in all seriousness by it and appropriate steps shall be taken as it is cognizant of the menace.
On November 14, the Supreme Court said forced religious conversion is a “very serious issue”, and may affect the security of the nation and asked the Centre to make its stand clear on what steps can be taken to curb forced conversions.
The top court said there is freedom of religion, but no freedom on forced conversion.
Upadhyay’s plea said that “freedom of religion enshrined in Article 25 is not granted exclusively in respect of one faith, but includes all religions equally, and an individual may properly enjoy it if he practices his right in a manner commensurate with the freedom of persons practicing the other religions”.
What is liberty for one, in equal measure, is freedom for the other, and therefore, there can be no such thing as a fundamental right to turn another man into one’s own religion.”
The petitioner has made the Union Ministries of Home Affairs, Law and Justice, CBI, NIA and state governments as respondents in the matter.
Crime
Encroachments along Adyar River in TN bulldozed on Madras HC order

Chennai, May 22: Following stern directives from the Madras High Court, authorities have initiated the removal of encroachments along the Adyar riverbank in Tamil Nadu’s Anakaputhur, with plans to complete the process within a week.
The court had recently issued a three-month deadline to the Tamil Nadu government to eliminate all encroachments obstructing the Adyar River Restoration Project.
Responding to this, the Water Resources Department on Wednesday began demolishing illegal structures, including around 50 houses in Anakaputhur. Officials confirmed that this is the first phase of the eviction drive.
The removal will continue in downstream areas such as Thideer Nagar, Jyothi Ammal Nagar, Surya Nagar, and Malligaipoo Nagar in Saidapet and Kotturpuram in the coming weeks.
An official from the Water Resources Department stated, “We will proceed with the clearance, one neighbourhood at a time, as per the court’s directive. The project had been delayed for years due to the presence of these encroachments.”
The state’s Additional Advocate-General J. Ravindran informed the court that the encroachments had halted progress on the Adyar River Restoration Project — a major initiative worth Rs 1,500 crore announced in three consecutive budgets since 2023.
Due to the obstructions, contractors were unable to prepare a detailed project report, stalling the project indefinitely.
In Anakaputhur alone, 593 families residing in areas such as Quaid-e-Milleth Nagar, Thai Moogambikai Nagar, Santhai Nagar, and MGR Nagar Third Street are being evicted. However, the state government is providing alternative housing to the affected families.
“Each displaced family will be allotted a 390-square-foot house at no cost. These houses, valued at Rs 17 lakh each, are located in Talaivaram, Keerapakkam, Perumbakkam, and Navalur,” the official added.
The Adyar River Restoration Project aims to rejuvenate the heavily polluted waterway and prevent urban flooding — a recurring issue during Chennai’s monsoon seasons. The successful removal of encroachments is expected to pave the way for its long-awaited implementation.
National News
Gunfight breaks out between security forces and terrorists in J&K’s Kishtwar

Jammu, May 22: A gunfight erupted on Thursday between the joint security forces and the terrorists during a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district.
Officials said that on specific information about the presence of a group of three to four terrorists, joint forces launched a CASO in Singhpora, Chatroo area of Kishtwar district.
“The cordon was tightened to engage the terrorists and to ensure that they are unable to escape. As the joint forces came closer, the hiding terrorists opened fire, triggering an encounter which is now going on. Three to four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists are reported to be holed up,” officials said.
Naming the operation as ‘Op Trashi’, the White Knight Corps of the Indian Army in a post on its X handle said, “Contact has been established with #terrorists during a joint #operation with @JmuKmrPolice at #Chhatru, #Kishtwar today morning. Additional troops have been inducted, and operations are ongoing to neutralize the terrorists.”
Joint forces have started aggressive operations against terrorists, their overground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers in J&K. These operations were intensified after April 22, when Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists segregated tourists on the basis of religion and killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local, in Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam.
The cowardly terrorist act outraged the entire nation. India launched precision-guided targeted attacks on terrorist infrastructure in Muridke near Lahore, Bahawalpur, Kotli, and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Pakistan responded by heavy mortar shelling on the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, targeting civilian facilities.
A total of 200 houses and shops were destroyed in Pakistani shelling, while hundreds of border residents were forced to abandon their villages to run to safer locations.
The border residents have not fully returned to their homes yet as the security forces are still defusing unexploded Pakistan shells in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla and Kupwara districts.
India agreed to a ceasefire arrived at by the DGMOs of the two countries on June 12.
But, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has made it clear that the understanding will be respected only as long as Pakistan does not allow any terrorist activity on its soil against India. he said that this was a probation period for Pakistan.
National News
J&K L-G announces govt job for kin of Pak shelling victims

Jammu, May 21: J&K Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha, on Wednesday announced government jobs to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in Pakistan shelling.
The Lieutenant Governor made the announcement while addressing families affected by the Poonch shelling.
The L-G expressed grief over the loss of lives due to Pakistan shelling and also expressed sympathy with the bereaved families.
“The loss of lives cannot be compensated. We stand with the families in this hour of grief. The next of kin of those who lost their lives will be given government jobs. This is in addition to the Centre’s support for the affected families. Both the Centre and state governments have been making efforts to provide compensation to the families. The damage assessment is being done, and once the report is completed, the measures will be taken accordingly,” he said.
“Community bunkers have already been constructed at many places, but the number of individual bunkers will be constructed soon to ensure the safety of border dwellers,” the Lt.Governor said.
In response to specific precision strikes against terror targets by Indian armed forces in Muridke near Lahore and Kotli and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) by India, Pakistan resorted to Indiscriminate mortar shelling on civilian facilities along the line of control (LoC) and the international border (IB).
Over 200 houses and shops were destroyed in Pakistan mortar shelling in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla and Kupwara districts. Hundreds of civilians had to give up homes, livestock and agricultural fields. Over 38 civilians were killed as Pakistan shelled civilian areas.
The border residents are still not able to completely return to their villages because of unexploded shells in the border areas.
Notably, India and Pakistan announced a ceasefire understanding on May 10 as the DGMOs of the two countries spoke to each other on the hotline.
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