By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, April 15, 2019: The Allahabad High Court allowed a church to be reopened for the Holy Week, after it was closed since September last, said AC Michael, a church leader.
On April 12, the Allahabad High Court directed the state to reopen the church in Siddharth Nagar district in the State of Uttar Pradesh and to provide protection to the Pastor Satyen Biswakarma and members of his church to conduct prayer service in peace.
On Sept 16, 2018, a group of people claiming to be state intelligence officers barged-in and recorded the prayers service. This was followed by the local police officers’ instructing the pastor to apply for permission and warned him from conducting prayer service without permission.
Since that day the church was not allowed to conduct prayer service and remained shut. The allied lawyers of ADF India, a human rights group, took up this matter before the Allahabad High Court which came up for hearing April 12.
The above judgement will ensure a smooth observation of Holy Week beginning coming Sunday April 14, 2019, including the Palm Sunday, Good Friday and Easter – the resurrection of Jesus, said Michael.
“The High Court’s order is a welcome step towards protecting the rights of all religious minorities to be able to freely practice and profess their faith,” said Tehmina Arora, director of ADF India.
“The state machinery was being misused to harass the Christian community and was a clear violation of the fundamental freedoms protected under the Articles 14, 19, 21, and 25 of the Constitution of India. The court has protected the idea of India as outlined in the Constitution. No one should be targeted for their faith,” she added.