Read Time: 03 minutes

A Supreme Court bench of Justices Indira Banerjee and AS Bopanna today dismissed the plea by Hindu Dharma Parishad seeking the establishment of a Board for Surveillance of the activities of Christian Missionaries.

The plea by Hindu Dharma Parishad in Supreme Court is an appeal against an order of Madras High Court. Justice MM Sundaresh (when he was the judge of Madras High Court) had heard the matter and held that, “The prayer as sought for cannot be granted, as it is not for the Court to issue appropriate orders in this regard, since it lies within the jurisdiction of the State.”

The order of Madras High Court further notes that there is a State legislation of Tamil Nadu which prohibits conversion from one religion to other by use of force or allurement by using fraudulent means.

The order further notes that "We can only hope and trust that the official respondents would give effect to the provision of the Act in letter and spirit.”

When the matter came up for hearing today, the counsel for Parishad chose to withdraw the matter prior to the court dismissing it. As a result, the court noted that “The Counsel for the petitioner seeks the withdraw the matter when the court was about to dismiss the same. As a result dismissed as withdrawn.”

Case title: Hindu Dharma Parishad Vs Union of India