A view of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly building.
| Photo Credit: PTI
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in Rajasthan during the Budget session in the State Assembly on Monday (February 3, 2025) introduced a Bill to prevent religious conversions carried out by force, fraud or inducement. The Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025 has a provision for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to ₹50,000 for various offences.
The State Cabinet had approved the draft of the Bill in November 2024 with an observation that it would help stop the “increasing instances of ‘love jihad’” in certain areas of State. “’Love jihad’ cases have assumed seriousness, causing a great deal of concern for the society at large. This legislation is going to curb this practice,” State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel told journalists.
The phrase ‘love jihad’ has been floated by the BJP and its right-wing affiliates to refer to Muslim men allegedly marrying Hindu women in an attempt to convert them to Islam. The tabling of the Bill has made Rajasthan the latest BJP-ruled State to bring the legislation aimed at curbing alleged forcible religious conversions.
Medical and Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar introduced the Bill, under which the offences will be cognisable and non-bailable, and triable by a court. While conversion by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or by any fraudulent means or by marriage has been made an offence, those who desire to convert their religion shall have to give a declaration in the prescribed form at least 60 days in advance to the District Magistrate.
The Opposition Congress strongly opposed the Bill, saying it formed part of the BJP’s propaganda to mislead the people. Congress MLA and the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Tika Ram Jully said if the government found any person or organisation forcibly converting people, it was free to take action. “Instead of addressing the issue of those dying in the Maha Kumbh, the BJP is creating divisions in society,” he said.
According to the Bill’s statement of objects and reasons, the law related to right to religious freedom already exists in several States, but there was no statute on the subject in Rajasthan. It said the objective of the right was to sustain the spirit of secularism, but the individual right could not be extended to construe a collective right to proselytise.
Talking to journalists, Mr. Patel said the proposed legislation would offer an effective deterrence against the activities of some organisations luring people in tribal-dominated regions. Minister of State for Youth Affairs K.K. Vishnoi said the Bill was “the need of the hour”, as it would stop the seduction of innocent girls.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Kirodi Lal Meena, whose resignation after the BJP’s losses in some seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha election is yet to be accepted, sought permission to remain absent from the House. Speaker Vasudev Devnani granted permission amid an uproar by Opposition members who wanted clarity on Mr. Meena’s resignation.
Published – February 03, 2025 08:58 pm IST
