A court in the northern Indian State of Uttar Pradesh has rejected religious conversion for marriage and personal benefit, describing it as un-acceptable.
While dismissing a petition filed by a couple, Allahabad High Court found that a Muslim woman had converted to Hinduism and later married as per Hindu rituals within the span of one month.
A.C. Michael, national coordinator of the United Christian Forum, accused the judge of exceeding his brief.
“He has no business trying to stop a person from changing religion even if it is for marriage,” he said.
“We are citizens of a country that guarantees in its constitution that we can change anything we want including one’s sexual orientation. Religion is my personal choice. Today I will go to church and worship Jesus Christ, tomorrow I can start going to a temple, mosque or gurdwara. Nobody can stop me — not even the gods themselves!” The court ruled that “marriage after one month shows that conversion has taken place only for the purpose of marriage.”