Allahabad HC: Wrong to call one religion the ‘only true faith’

The Allahabad High Court earlier this week refused bail to a Christian priest, observing that in secular India it is wrong for anyone to assert that their religion is the “only true faith”. The court noted that such claims can insult other religions and may fall under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code.

The case stems from an FIR lodged in Mau district, Uttar Pradesh, in 2023, alleging that the accused, during prayer meetings, claimed Christianity to be the “only true religion”, thereby allegedly hurting the sentiments of other communities.

Justice Saurabh Srivastava, on Wednesday (March 25, 2026), rejected the plea filed by Vineet Vincent Pereira.

“By a bare perusal of the narrations in the FIR, it is evident that the applicant, in his prayer meetings, repeatedly stated that there is only one true religion – Christianity – and in doing so, hurt the sentiments of a particular community, namely Hindus. India is a land where people of all faiths coexist in a secular state as defined by the Constitution. Therefore, it is wrong for any religion to claim it is the only true faith, as it implies disparagement of other religions.”

The court added that Section 295A of the IPC penalises acts done with deliberate and malicious intent to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens by insulting their religion or faith.

“The conduct of the applicant falls within the ambit of this provision, and at this stage, it cannot be said that no prima facie case is made out,” the judgment noted.

The petitioner’s counsel argued that the priest was falsely implicated, asserting that no illegal religious conversion had occurred and that the FIR did not disclose an offence under Section 295A. It was further contended that the charge sheet was filed without a fair investigation and that the magistrate had taken cognisance without proper application of mind.