The Supreme Court on Monday sought responses from the Centre and 12 states, including Rajasthan and Arunachal Pradesh, on a fresh PIL filed by the National Council of Churches in India challenging the validity of their respective anti-conversion laws.The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), represented by senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, also sought a stay on the operation of these state laws.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions of the NCCI and sought responses from the Centre and 12 state governments within four weeks.
Ordering tagging of the fresh pleas with the pending ones, the CJI said a three-judge bench would hear them together.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, said that similar petitions are pending which challenge the state laws. “Our reply is ready and will be filed shortly,” the law officer said.
Arora said that Odisha and Rajasthan have also come out with their separate laws, and they were not under challenge in earlier petitions. “There are amendments also in other Acts which are not challenged. Let me serve all the standing counsels,” she said.
“Issue notice. Let a copy of each be served on Advocate Generals (of states) also. Let a counter affidavit (of the Centre and 12 states) be filed within four weeks. Let respondents file a common counter affidavit. Having regard to the importance, let it be placed before a three-judge bench,” the bench said in the order.