Rajasthan Passes 'Anti-Conversion' Bill: Hefty Penalty, Up To 20 Years' Jail Or Life Imprisonment; Know The Key Provisions

Jaipur: The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly on Tuesday passed the 'Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2025' by voice note amid protest by Opposition legislators.

According to the bill, any religious conversion done without prior permission from the District Collector, including those carried out through marriage, will be treated as a crime. The punishment can range from 7-20 years in jail. Institutions found guilty of such acts will face action as their buildings are likely to be sealed or even demolished.

On Tuesday, the 'Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025' was introduced in the assembly by Minister of State for Home, Jawahar Singh Bedham, and passed after debate. While presenting the bill, Bedham said that the Constitution gives every citizen the right to follow their own religion and worship freely. However, he pointed out that this should not be done in a way that affects or hurts the beliefs of followers of other religions.

He said, "Today, many religious groups are trying to convert people by using deceit, temptation or false promises. Such actions hurt other communities and create law and order problems. That is why the bill defines what counts as 'conversion' by spreading false information, using force, committing fraud, applying pressure, aggressive propaganda, offering inducements or creating fear. Even marriage for the purpose of conversion will fall under this definition."

Why This Bill Was Introduced

The state government said that across the country, including in Rajasthan, there have been many cases of forced religious conversions of young men and women. To stop such incidents, the Bhajanlal Sharma-led government has brought this law, similar to the ones already in force in Jharkhand, Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

Minister Bedham said Rajasthan urgently needed this bill, especially considering cases emerging from tribal areas and other parts of the state. He alleged that many organisations form groups, spread false propaganda and offer financial assistance as bait to convert people.

Opposition Protest Continues

Meanwhile, the Opposition MLAs refused to take part in the debate and kept protesting in the House. In response, Minister Bedham said that the Leader of Opposition was strongly opposing the bill in the assembly, even though a case of religious conversion was reported from his own district just two days earlier.

"The Leader of Opposition knows how important this bill is, but is opposing it only because he has received instructions from Delhi (indirectly referring to Rahul Gandhi)," he alleged, adding that the Opposition was protesting just for political gains.

Conversion Through Marriage Also A Crime

The bill clearly states that if anyone changes anyone's religion by pretending to marry, giving false information or marrying solely for conversion, it will be treated as a crime. Guilty will face strict punishment in such cases otherwise known as 'Love Jihad'.

Those found guilty can be sentenced to up to 20 years in jail. If a marriage was done only for the purpose of conversion, the court will have the power to cancel such a marriage. If religion is changed before or after marriage in such cases, the marriage itself will be considered invalid, the bill says.

Key Provisions Of The Bill

The bill makes unlawful religious conversion a non-bailable offence. The punishments are as follows:

• For unlawful conversion: Up to 7-14 years in jail and a fine of Rs five lakh.
• For conversion of a minor, woman, disabled person or SC/ST member: 10-20 years in jail and a fine of Rs 10 lakh.
• For mass conversions: 20 years in jail or life imprisonment, and a fine of Rs 25 lakh.
• For conversion using foreign or illegal funding: 10-20 years in jail and a fine of Rs 20 lakh.
• For repeated offences: Punishment of life imprisonment.

The government has said that before taking action against the buildings of institutions involved in unlawful conversions, the authorities will issue a 72-hour notice.

Process For Voluntary Conversion

The bill makes an exception for people returning to their original faith, which it calls 'Ghar Wapsi' (homecoming). This will not be considered as religious conversion. However, for those who want to change their religion by choice, s/he must go through a strict process:

• The person must give a written declaration to the District Collector or Additional District Magistrate at least 90 days in advance.
• The concerned religious leader must also submit a notice two months in advance.
• The declaration will be made public and displayed on a notice board.
• For two months, objections will be invited.
• The conversion will be officially recognised only after all objections are heard and cleared.

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