NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court Monday dismissed a plea seeking a single "constitutional religion" in the country, asking the petitioner how he can prevent people from following their respective religious faiths.
A bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Sudhanshu Dhulia asked the petitioner from where did he get the thought of filing such a petition.
"You say there should be one constitutional religion. Can you prevent people from following their own religions? What is this?" the bench told the man who appeared as petitioner-in-person.
Petitioners-in-person are individuals who are not lawyers but have been accorded permission to present their case in court by the registrar.
The instant petition was filed by Mukesh Kumar and Mukesh Manveer Singh.
"What is this? What do you want in this petition?" the bench asked one of them who was present before it.
The petitioner, who said he is a social activist, told the bench he has filed the public interest litigation (PIL) under Article 32 of the Constitution on behalf of the people of India seeking "one constitutional religion."
"On what basis?" asked the court.
The bench said the petition sought quashing of a constitutional order of 1950. It, however, did not mention which constitutional order it was referring to. The court then dismissed the petition.
Article 32 of the Constitution extends to the citizens of the country the right to approach the apex court through appropriate proceedings if they feel their fundamental rights have been violated.