No government of the country can identify itself in favour of any religion, said Prabhakar Tirkey, president of the Rashtriya Isai Mahasangh (National Christian Federation) in Ranchi.

“India is a secular state, and the country has no religion,” he said.

He was speaking at the end of the two-day national executive meeting with leaders’ conference.

Explaining Article 15 and 25 in the Constitution, Tirkey said that no government can deprive any citizen within the country of one’s fundamental right based on religion, caste and race.

All religions are equal and the right to religious freedom and the right to propagate it freely for one’s religion have been provided under the Constitution, he stressed.

Despite the Constitutional guarantee, religious minorities in India such as Muslims and Christians are being tortured only for political selfishness.

The National Christian Federation believes that the promotion of religion is a constitutional right. It is illegal to stop the Christian community from preaching and registering cases against them in the name of conversion, Tirkey said.

“The Constitution of India is the code of conduct of every citizen of this country. Following this code of conduct is the ultimate duty of every citizen of the country irrespective of any distinction,” he added.

In the Constitution of India, provisions have been made for the protection of every person living inside the country and their tradition and religious beliefs. All citizens are equal in terms of the constitution, Tirkey reiterated.

The focus of the conference was to create awareness on the rights of Scheduled Tribes provided by the Constitution and the Government of India.