HC lets women rights body to become party to plea against UP anti-conversion ordinance

The Allahabad High Court has allowed a Lucknow-based woman rights body to become a party to a plea challenging the Uttar Pradesh's stringent anti-conversion ordinance promulgated last year and have its say during the adjudication of the petition.

The permission was granted on Monday by a bench of Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saurabh Shyam Shamshery.

''An application is preferred on behalf of the Association for Advocacy and Legal Initiatives through its managing trustee Tulika Srivastava to join the writ proceedings. The application for the reasons mentioned therein is allowed,'' the bench said, allowing the plea.

The women organisation, which challenged the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020, was represented by advocate Vrinda Grover.

Meanwhile, a state government counsel informed the bench that a plea has been made to the Supreme Court to transfer to itself for hearing all petitions challenging the ordinance and pending before the high court.

On the state government's counsel's statement, the bench adjourned the hearing on the plea challenging the ordinance and slated it hearing along with all other similar pleas on January 25.

''In view of the statement so given, we deem it appropriate to adjourn this petition for the writ. Let this petition along with other similar petitions be listed for a final hearing at this stage on January 25, 2021,'' the court said.