Jaipur: Rajasthan government on Monday tabled Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025 in the state Assembly during the ongoing Budget Session. The Bill provides for cognisable and non-cognisable and will be triable by court. The purpose of the Bill is to prevent unlawful conversion and provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years along with a fine of up to Rs 50,000.
The Bill was tabled by Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar. The Bill will be passed in the assembly following a debate during the session. The Bill has made religious conversion by force, misrepresentation, allurement, any fraudulent means a punishable offence.
Imprisonment up to 10 years
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According to the Bill, an accused may be sentenced to 1 year and could be extended to five years along with Rs 15000 fine. The Bill says that if a person flouts the law with regard to a minor, woman or a person from SC/ST community, it will be punished by 2-year jail term that may extend to 10 years and a fine of Rs 25,000.
While in case of mass conversion, the Bill says that the violation would be punished by 10 years jail term and RS 50000 fine.
For those who wants to convert to other religion are required to give a 60 days advance notice in a prescribed format to the District Magistrate.
What the Bill says
The Bill gives examples where people were converted by force or misrepresentation or undue influence.
“In the recent past, many such examples have come to light where gullible persons have been converted from one religion to another by misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement or fraudulent means.
“The law related to the right to religious freedom already exists in various states of the country but there was no statute on the said subject in Rajasthan. In view of the above, it was decided to enact a law to provide for prohibition of unlawful conversion,” the Bill stated.
