Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma-led Rajasthan Cabinet has approved a bill aimed at curbing forcible religious conversions, making the state the latest BJP-ruled region to introduce such legislation. The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill 2024 will be introduced in the upcoming Assembly session, with provisions for jail terms of up to 10 years for various violations. The crimes under this law would be non-bailable, as confirmed by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel.
The bill mandates that individuals wishing to convert to another religion must submit an application to the district magistrate at least 60 days in advance. The district magistrate will assess whether the conversion is voluntary or forced, and if no coercion or temptation is involved, the conversion will be allowed, news agency PTI reported.
Patel stated, "The government has decided to bring a bill in the upcoming assembly session to stop forcible religious conversion in the state. The bill has provisions of punishment in different categories, from one year to 10 years, with penalties for forceful conversion of an individual or in groups." He emphasised that once the bill becomes law, no individual or institution will be able to convert someone through misrepresentation, fraud, force, or undue influence.
Rajasthan Anti-Conversion Bill: Crimes Will Be Non-Bailable And Cognisable
"If any person or institution does such an act, they will be given severe punishment," Patel added, as per PTI. "In this law, the crimes will be non-bailable and cognisable." The bill was drafted after studying similar laws in other states.
According to news agency ANI, Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa remarked, "People were lured into converting their religion which they did not know. We analysed similar policies from other states as well. We have categorised the punishments accordingly so that forced religious conversions can be stopped."
CM Sharma took to X and posted, "Rajasthan government committed to stop illegal religious conversion. In the Cabinet meeting held in the Chief Minister's Office today, it was decided to introduce 'The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill-2024' in the Assembly to stop attempts at conversion by inducement or fraud. The proposed bill will prohibit any person or institution from converting a person's religion through misleading information, fraud, use of force, or undue influence. If a person marries for the purpose of illegal conversion, the family court will have the right to declare such marriage invalid."
Rajasthan joins a growing list of BJP-ruled states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, which have already enacted strict anti-conversion laws. Himachal Pradesh also made its conversion law more stringent in 2022 while under BJP rule.
In addition to the anti-conversion bill, the Cabinet approved nine new policies aimed at accelerating industrial and economic development in the state. The formation of the 7th State Finance Commission and the introduction of ordinances for the formation of development authorities in Bikaner and Bharatpur were also discussed. Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa highlighted that the development authorities would help in ensuring systematic and planned growth in these cities.