HC dismisses PIL against politicians who speak on conversions

The Bombay High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking action against MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and VHP international working president Praveen Togadia for allegedly making comments about religious conversions.
A bench, headed by Justice V M Kanade, recently held that the petitioner had an alternative remedy to approach appropriate civil and criminal courts.
"Hence, the High Court is not inclined to entertain this PIL," the bench said in its order.
The PIL, filed by social activist Hemant Patil, said that the comments made by these leaders allegedly tend to divide the people and such utterances were in violation of the Representation of the People Act.

The PIL alleged that in their speeches, Togadia and Bhagwat have claimed that ancestors of all Indians were Hindus and urged Muslims to embrace Hinduism.
"In order to counter the duo, Hyderabad-based President of All India MIM Asaduddin Owaisi, allegedly commented that every child is born a Muslim after which parents and society convert them to other religions," it said.
The petition prayed that politicians be restrained from making such comments allegedly aimed at dividing the people.