By Hilary White
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NEW DEHLI, August 9, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The high court of India ruled on Friday that police do not have to have a court order to arrest Christian ministers accused of encouraging religious conversions.
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The Times of India reports that the court ruled that police do not need a prior sanction from a court or any other authority before issuing a FIR (First Information Report) and arresting clergy members or anyone accused of attempting to gain converts to their faith.
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The ruling follows the recent statements from high-level Catholic prelates, including Pope Benedict XVI that India seems to be moving more and more towards a condition of “religious intolerance.” Anti-proselytism laws, said the pope, are against the spirit of the Indian Constitution.
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A recently enacted law in the state of Madhya Pradesh, for example, says that potential converts must register with a district magistrate one month prior to the official date of conversion. Religious officials must inform the authorities and provide the would-be convert’s name, address and expected date of conversion.
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The Supreme Court’s ruling makes it more likely that Christian ministers can be openly harassed by police at the behest of Hindu extremist groups. A recent case of this saw two sisters of Mother Theresa’s Missionaries of Charity arrested and terroroized for visiting and assisting patients in hospital.
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India’s Top Cardinal Speaks out Against New Anti-Conversion Law
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2006/jul/06072608.html
News
Indian Supreme Court Bolsters Anti-Proselytism Rules
By Hilary White  NEW DEHLI, August 9, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The high court of India ruled on Friday that police do not have to have a court order to arrest Christian ministers accused of encouraging religious conversions.  The Times of India reports that the court ruled that police do not need a prior sanction from a court or any other authority before issuing a FIR (First Information Report) and arresting clergy members or anyone accused of attempting to gain converts to their faith. The ruling follows the recent statements from high-level Catholic prelates, including Pope Benedict XVI that […]
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