Author: PTI
Publication: Rediff on Net
Date: February 10, 2005
URL: http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/feb/10hc.htm
[Note from the Hindu Vivek Kendra:
This item is relevant in context of a faith healing programme organised
by the American evangelist, Benny Hinn. It was attended by
the secular ministers of the Congress party in Karnataka.]
The Allahabad high court has ruled
that no person or organisation can claim constitutional validity for "faith
healing" citing the right to freedom of religion and right to protection
of life.
Justice Sunil Ambawani, while making
the observation, said that both the rights are distinct from each and other
and do not overlap.
He also said that right to protection
of life, which also entails the right to medical treatment, is regulated
by a specific legislation and hence nobody can claim the right to cure
people through the power of faith as a fundamental right.
The order was on a complaint filed
by one Santosh Saxena, a resident of the city, who had alleged that one
Ajay Pratap Singh, who had set up an organisation called the Lal Mahendra
Shiv Shakti Seva Samiti, was offering faith healing for a fee of Rs 30.
The court restrained Singh and the
organisation from holding faith healing congregations.
