Ex-judges take part in VHP meet, religious conversions and Waqf Bill among topics of discussion
The meeting took place amid concerns about the independence of the judiciary in view of courts hearing cases relevant to key Hindutva demands.
Thirty retired Supreme Court and High Court judges took part in a meeting organised by the Hindutva group Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s legal cell on Sunday, The Indian Express reported.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad President Alok Kumar said the topics that came up for discussion were “the collective issues before the society – such as the Waqf Amendment Bill, handing back of temples, handing over of temples under government control, conversions etc”.
Discussions were held “on nationalism and Hindutva” and laws affecting Hindus and cow slaughter were among the other subjects that came up, the organisation’s spokesperson Vinod Bansal was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal was also present at the meeting. In a post on X on Sunday evening, he said that he took part in detailed conversations about “topics related to the legal reforms needed to create a developed India”.
आज विश्व हिंदू परिषद के विधि प्रकोष्ठ द्वारा आयोजित Judge’s Meet समारोह में सहभागिता करके विकसित भारत के निर्माण संबंधित न्यायिक सुधारो से जुड़े विषयों पर विस्तृत संवाद किया।
— Arjun Ram Meghwal (@arjunrammeghwal) September 8, 2024
इस अवसर पर विश्व हिंदू परिषद के अध्यक्ष श्री आलोक कुमार जी की गरिमामयी उपस्थित में सेवानिवृत्त… pic.twitter.com/4CSkoeuE0a
In recent years, courts across the country have dealt with several cases that have been deeply relevant to the ideological demands of Hindutva groups.
As a Scroll analysis showed in May 2022, judicial orders have played a key role in advancing Hindutva claims on mosques such as the Babri Masjid in Ayodhya and the Gyanvapi mosque in Varanasi. Vishwa Hindu Parishad members have been among the litigants in several such cases.
On February 27, retired judge Ajaya Krishna Vishvesha was appointed as the Lokpal of a public university in Lucknow, nearly a month after he allowed Hindus to offer prayers in the sealed basement of the Gyanvapi mosque complex. This had led to concerns on social media about the independence of the judiciary.
Also read: From Babri to Gyanvapi, how India’s courts have helped escalate Hindutva claims on mosques
Court orders have also been key to allowing the use of anti-conversion laws in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled states that have faced criticism from activists and legal experts for curbing the freedom of religion.
Also read:
Behind Allahabad High Court denying protection to inter-faith couples – UP’s anti-conversion law
