BJP attacks religious freedom: Rajasthan Assembly passes controversial anti-conversion bill
Jaipur: The Rajasthan Assembly, under the Hindutva Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has passed a highly controversial bill criminalizing religious conversion.
According to Kashmir Media Service, experts and human rights advocates have condemned the bill as a direct assault on religious freedom, formalizing Hindu supremacy into state law. Far from being a mere legislative measure, it is a legal attempt to entrench the Hindutva agenda, blatantly undermining India’s secular constitution and fundamental human rights.
Under the law, conversion of religion could result in life imprisonment, fines up to Rs 1 crore, and confiscation of property. The measure is expected to instill fear and insecurity among religious minorities in India, particularly Muslims and Christians.
The most contentious clause allows individuals to “return” to Hinduism without it being considered a conversion. This effectively legitimizes the BJP’s “ghar wapsi” (homecoming) campaign, while conversions to Islam or Christianity can result in severe punishment. Legal experts have called this discriminatory and a direct violation of India’s secular principles, steering the country away from a pluralistic democracy toward a Hindu Rashtra.
The bill also tightens oversight on welfare institutions, schools, and hospitals. Allegations of “inducement to convert” or illegal funding could lead to closures. Interfaith marriages can be invalidated, formalizing the false “love jihad” narrative, stripping women of autonomy, and placing their lives under state control. Alarmingly, the law reverses a basic principle of justice by requiring the accused to prove their innocence.
Political analysts note the silence of Congress and other opposition parties has emboldened the BJP. Avoiding debate has exposed the weakening of secular leadership in India, while under Narendra Modi, the BJP has positioned itself as legislator, judge, and religious overseer, leaving no space for dissent or diversity.
Critics warn that Rajasthan may become a blueprint for similar laws in other BJP-ruled states, threatening religious freedoms across India. Legal experts have also cautioned that the bill violates Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees every citizen the right to freely practice, propagate, and choose their religion. Rajasthan has thus become a testing ground for Hindutva, where changing one’s faith is no longer a personal right but a crime against the state.
