The Rajasthan Cabinet has given its approval to the Anti-Conversion Bill, a significant move aimed at curbing forced religious conversions in the state. The bill, which will be presented in the upcoming parliamentary session, seeks to impose stringent penalties to tackle unlawful conversions.
Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa explained that the bill includes severe punishments, ranging from 1 to 5 years of imprisonment, to address the issue of forced conversions. He added that many individuals had been misled into changing their religion, often without understanding the consequences. Bairwa emphasized that the government had thoroughly reviewed similar laws in other states to ensure the proposed legislation would effectively prevent such conversions.
Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma also addressed the media, stating that the bill would prohibit any individual or organization from engaging in religious conversions through deceit, force, or coercion. The proposed law will specifically target conversions obtained through fraudulent means, manipulation, or undue influence. “The Rajasthan government is committed to ending illegal religious conversions,” said Sharma, highlighting the Cabinet’s decision to introduce “The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill-2024” in the legislative assembly.
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The bill also includes a provision that allows family courts to declare a marriage invalid if it is found to have been contracted for the purpose of illegal conversion. This addition aims to further curb the use of marriage as a means of facilitating forced conversions.
Rajasthan’s Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Jogaram Patel, expressed that the cabinet’s decisions would lay the groundwork for new developments and public welfare in the state. He stressed the importance of collective effort in achieving the vision of a prosperous and socially harmonious Rajasthan. “Let us all join hands to ensure Rajasthan’s rise with social harmony and cultural growth,” Patel said in a post on X.
