Allahabad High Court Orders UP Govt to Cancel SC Status of Converts to Christianity; DMs Told to Act Within 4 Months
Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh: In a significant constitutional and administrative development, the Allahabad High Court has directed the Uttar Pradesh government to immediately revoke the Scheduled Caste (SC) status and reservation benefits of all individuals who have converted to Christianity, reaffirming that such benefits are strictly religion-specific under Indian law. The ruling, which draws from the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order, 1950 and binding Supreme Court judgments, strengthens the long-standing legal position that SC benefits cannot be retained after conversion to a religion that does not recognize caste.
High Court Says Retaining SC Status After Christian Conversion is “Fraud on the Constitution”
The court strongly noted that individuals who convert to Christianity—yet continue to claim SC benefits—are engaging in a “fraud on the Constitution” and are violating the very basis on which reservation for Scheduled Castes exists. Since caste discrimination is historically rooted in Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist social structures, the Presidential Order of 1950 clearly limits SC classification to followers of these three religions only.
The bench reiterated that once a person accepts Christianity, the “caste identity ceases to exist” from a legal standpoint, making it unconstitutional and unlawful to continue availing benefits meant exclusively for Scheduled Castes.