Rajasthan Government To Scrutinize Religious Conversions, Draft Law Underway

The Rajasthan government is set to extend the queue of states with law on religious conversions as the state is ready with the draft version of law.

The state government has filled an affidavit regarding the same. The affidavit states that the Rajasthan government is preparing to bring a new law on religious conversions. As per the affidavit the draft to the law is underway.

In the assembly elections concluded in last December, BJP overthrew the Congress. Chief Minister is Bhajan Lal is the face of the government in the state.

In an affidavit, state government asserted it will follow the guideline of apex court regarding the religious conversions. State will cease to follow the guideline as soon as it brings own law.

Additional Superintendent of Police Bharat Lal Meena had filled the affidavit in a PIL of 2022. BJP leader and advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay filed a PIL through Ashwini Dubey seeking directions to the Central Government and State Governments to take strict measures to control religious conversion. However it specified the kind the conversions it intends to stop, religious conversion by fraud, threat, deceitful gift and lure of money.

The Supreme Court had said that forced religious conversion, if true, is a serious issue which can affect the security of the nation. The Supreme Court had issued a notice to the Center on this issue and sought a reply.

It is noteworthy that the government of former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje passed the Religious Freedom Bill in 2008. Later, President refused to approve the Bill.

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State government intends to stop the alleged cases of love jihad and religious conversion. The Home Department of Rajasthan has started the process of withdrawing the bill. The Home Department claims that cases of religious conversion are increasing in the state. The proposed new bill has strict provisions to prevent temptation, fraud or forced conversion.

During the hearing of the case, the Supreme Court expressed displeasure over the comment made by petitioner Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. Later, the Supreme Court removed the petitioner’s name from the petition and replaced it with cases related to religious conversion.

Along with this, the Supreme Court also clubbed all the separate petitions filed regarding religious conversion with this petition.

Later, the Supreme Court also listed a petition filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind challenging the anti-conversion laws passed in BJP-ruled states. The Supreme Court is expected to consider the case on July 16, 2024.