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- Andhra Pradesh High Court Hearing Religious Conversion Converted People Lose Schedule Caste Status
Vijayawada4 minutes ago
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The Andhra Pradesh High Court said that if a person belongs to the Scheduled Castes (SC) community, and the religion changes, then his SC status ends. After this, he cannot claim protection under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.
Akkala Rami, a single bench of Justice Harinath N in Kothpalem in Guntur district, was hearing the petition of a person named Rami Reddi. Akkala was alleged by a Hindu -turned -Christian man, that he had abused casteist.
The police filed a charge sheet against Akkala in SC/ST Special Court on the complaint of Chinta. Reddy then filed a petition in the High Court to cancel it and stop all the proceedings.
Justice N Harinath said that when Chintada himself had told that he has been following Christianity for the last 10 years, the police should not have imposed the SC/ST Act on the accused.
Given the bench that the complainant Abhinada misused the SC/ST Act, canceled the case against the accused Reddy and others.
A Hindu person cannot be considered scheduled by adopting another religion
Akkla’s lawyer Phani Dutt said in the court that Chintada has claimed that he has been working as a pastor for 10 years. He has voluntarily changed his religion. Dutt argued that Christianity does not recognize the caste system. There is no mention of caste system in other religions in the Constitution. Also, those who convert from Hinduism to other religion cannot be considered as Scheduled Castes.
Justice Harinath said- The purpose of the SC/ST Act is to protect people associated with those groups (Scheduled Castes), not those who have converted to other religions. Applying SC/ST Act only on the basis that its caste certificate has not been canceled, cannot be a valid basis.
The judge said- It is illegal for a person who converts to any other religion to FIR of offense under the provisions of the Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
This was the whole matter
The case is of Anakapalli in Visakhapatnam district, where Chintada of SC (Mala community) originally adopted Christianity and became a pastor. During the investigation of the case, the High Court found that the SC certificate of Chinta was canceled due to adoption of Christianity. The court said that after conversion, the person loses the status of SC and cannot claim protection under the SC/ST Act.
What is the provision in the constitution
According to the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950, only the Scheduled Caste communities of Hindu, Sikh and Buddhism have SC status. If someone adopts Christian or Muslim religion, then this status ends.
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly also passed a resolution in March 2023, requesting the Central Government to also provide SC status to Dalits who have adopted Christianity.
Supreme Court had said- changing religion to take advantage of reservation, cheating from constitution
Some time ago, the Supreme Court also clarified in a case that if a person returns to Hinduism again after adopting Christianity, he would need reliable evidence and community approval to get SC status. The Supreme Court termed the conversion with the aim of achieving only benefits.
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