Jaipur, Feb 3 : The Bhajan Lal Sharma-led Bharatiya Janata Party government tabled the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025, in the ongoing Budget Session of the Assembly on Monday.

State Health Minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar introduced the Bill, which aims at preventing unlawful religious conversions across the state.

The Bill further mandates that individuals seeking to convert to another religion must submit an application to the District Magistrate at least 60 days in advance.

It also includes provisions for penalties against forced conversions.

Aimed at preventing unlawful religious conversions, the Bill prescribes imprisonment of up to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

It classifies conversions obtained through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, fraudulent means, or marriage as offences.

In cases of mass conversion, the Bill stipulates a minimum jail term of three years, extendable to 10 years, along with a Rs 50,000 fine.

Additionally, those intending to convert voluntarily must submit a declaration in a prescribed format to the District Magistrate at least 60 days in advance.

The Bill emphasises that India's Constitution guarantees religious freedom, reflecting the nation's commitment to secularism and social harmony.

However, it asserts that religious freedom does not extend to forced or deceitful conversions.

As per the Bill, the legislation aims to prevent unlawful religious conversions and related activities.

It defines various terms crucial to its enforcement.

The Bill further states that any marriage done for sole purpose of unlawful conversion or vice-versa by the man of one religion with the woman of another religion, either by converting himself/herself before or after marriage, or by converting the woman before or after marriage, will be declared void by the Family Court or where Family Court is not established, the Court having jurisdiction to try such case on a petition presented by either party thereto against the other party of the marriage.

"Conversion" in this Bill has been defined as renouncing one's own religion and adopting another religion; "force" includes a show of force or a threat of injury of any kind to the person converted or sought to be converted or to any other person or property impersonation; "fraudulent means" includes impersonation of any kind, by false name, surname, and religious symbol or otherwise; "mass conversion" means where two or more persons are converted; "minor" means a person under 18 years of age; "religion" means any organised system of worship pattern, faith, belief, worship or lifestyle, as prevailing in India or any part of it, and defined under any law or custom for the time being in force.

The "religion convertor" means person or persons of any religion who performs any act of conversion from one religion to another religion; "undue influence" means the unconscientious use by one person of his/her power or influence over another in order to persuade the other to act in accordance with the will of the person exercising such influence, and "unlawful conversion" means any conversion not in accordance with law of the land.

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 states.

As per the Bill, the court will also grant appropriate compensation payable by the accused to the victim of said conversion which may extend to a maximum of Rs 5 lakh.

The Bill further proposes double punishment for repeat offenders.

/IANS