NO HOSTING BJP LEADERS, PANCHAYAT TO FARMERS

MEERUT: A panchayat of farmers held at the Bharatiya Kisan Union’s headquarter in Sisauli ( Muzaffarnagar) appealed to people to not invite BJP leaders to any family function or programme till the prevailing deadlock between farmers and government ended. On the other hand, a meeting of BJP MPs and MLAs of western UP was held at the residence of union minister Sanjeev Baliyan in Muzaffarnagar and they resolved to approach Khaps and farmers to brief them about the farm laws and to get their feedback.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), a non-government organisation (NGO), to challenge laws against religious conversion passed by Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh by amending its original plea questioning similar laws passed by Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

In addition, the court also allowed the Muslim organization Jamait Ulama-i-Hind, to intervene in the proceedings. The organization alleged the laws led to the harassment of a large number of Muslim men and hence there was a need to oppose the legislation.

On January 6 this year, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the Centre and the states of Uttarakhand and UP on two petitions challenging the validity of the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Ordinance, 2020 and the Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion Act, 2018.

One of the petitions was filed by CJP, run by social activist Teesta Setalvad.

The NGO moved an application to amend its petition by including two other similar anti-conversion laws passed by Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.