Rajasthan Anti-Conversion Bill 2025: Key Features & Impact

The 2025 Rajasthan Bill to Prevent Forced or Fraudulent Religious Conversions

The 2025 Rajasthan Bill to Prevent Forced or Fraudulent Religious Conversions has been enacted by the Rajasthan Assembly in order to contain forcible or fraudulent religious conversions.

Life imprisonment, fines of up to 1 crore and seizure of properties utilized in mass conversions are included in the Bill.

• Congress MLAs opposed the legislation and walked out claiming that the bill would cause social disharmony and tensions.
• By this, Rajasthan becomes the eight other BJP-controlled states such as Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh which already possess similar laws in place.

Key Features of the Bill:

Objective:
To prevent unlawful religious conversions carried out through force, fraud, pressure, or enticement.

Punishment:

• Life imprisonment for organizers of mass conversions.
• Fines up to Rs1 crore, payable to the victims, in addition to compensation awarded by the court.

Mass Conversion Properties:

• Properties used for mass conversions will be confiscated and demolished by authorities.

Marriage and Conversion:

• The court will annul any marriage conducted exclusively for the purpose of religious conversion.
• Any conversions carried out in connection with such marriages, whether before or after, will be deemed illegal.

Return to Ancestral Religion:

• The law does not apply to conversions back to an individual’s original religion.

Legal Process:

• The offences will be recognized as cognisable, not eligible for bail, and will be tried in a sessions court.
• Prior intimation to the District Magistrate and public notice are mandatory for lawful conversion, following Rajasthan High Court guidelines (2017).

Issues and Concerns:

Communal Tension:

• Opposition warns the law may polarize communities and disrupt communal harmony.

Vague Definitions:

• Terms like “force,” “fraud,” and “allurement” are broad and unclear, creating scope for misuse and harassment.

Violation of Personal Freedom:

• The Bill may restrict individual rights to marry and convert by choice, especially in cases of inter-faith marriages.

Targeting Minorities:

• Critics fear the law could be used to harass minority groups or suppress voluntary conversions.

Political Motivation:

• There are allegations that the Bill is politically driven, aimed at vote bank consolidation before elections.

Constitutional Provisions

Article 25 – Freedom of Religion:

• Allows people to follow, practice, and spread their religion, while ensuring public order, morality, and health are maintained.
• Allows the State to regulate or restrict religious practices if they disturb public order or morality.

Article 21 – Safeguarding Life and Personal Liberty

• Protects freedom of choice, including the right to marry and adopt a religion voluntarily.

Article 19(1)(a) – Freedom of Speech and Expression:

• Includes the right to propagate religious beliefs, but not through coercion or fraud.

Article 14 – Right to Equality:

• Ensures that laws treat everyone equally and are free from arbitrary discrimination.