Rajasthan became India’s 12th state to enact stringent legislation aimed at curbing religious conversions, raising alarm that it will be weaponized against minority communities
Newsroom (11/09/2025, Gaudium Press )On September 9, 2025, Rajasthan became India’s 12th state to enact stringent legislation aimed at curbing religious conversions, raising alarm among Christian leaders who fear it will be weaponized against minority communities. The Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2025, passed by the state’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government, imposes harsh penalties for conversions deemed fraudulent, with punishments including up to 20 years in prison and hefty fines.
The law prohibits conversions through force, coercion, misrepresentation, undue influence, allurement, marriage, or any fraudulent means, classifying such acts as non-bailable offenses. Individuals intending to convert must seek prior approval from a district collector, who may investigate and consider public objections to the conversion. Penalties are particularly severe for converting minors, women, disabled individuals, or members of lower castes and tribal communities, carrying up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine of one million Indian rupees (approximately US$11,000). Mass conversions face life imprisonment and a 2.5 million rupee fine, while repeat offenders risk life sentences and fines up to five million rupees.
Christian leaders in Rajasthan, where Hindus comprise 88% of the state’s 70 million population and Christians just 0.15%, have condemned the law as a tool to harass minorities. “This is an unnecessary law to target Christians and other minorities,” said Father Basil Makwana, a diocesan priest, in an interview with UCA News on September 10. He expressed concern that routine Christian activities, such as prayer services, educational programs, or even birthday celebrations, could be misconstrued as attempts to convert others. “The new law shifts the burden of proof to the accused, forcing us to prove our innocence,” he added, warning of its potential misuse by “troublemakers.”
Sister Carol Geeta, a lawyer and member of the Mission Sisters of Ajmer, called the law a violation of constitutional guarantees. “The freedom to choose, practice, and propagate a religion is enshrined in our constitution,” she told UCA News. “Requiring public approval for a personal decision like conversion undermines liberty and privacy.”
The legislation mirrors similar anti-conversion laws in 11 other Indian states, most governed by the BJP, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka. Rajasthan’s previous attempts to pass such laws in 2006 and 2008 were blocked by the state governor, then a Congress Party nominee. With the BJP now controlling both state and federal governments, the bill faced no such resistance this time.
Critics argue the law’s vague definitions of terms like “undue influence” and “allurement” create loopholes for abuse, potentially criminalizing charitable work or interfaith interactions. As tensions rise, Rajasthan’s tiny Christian community braces for increased scrutiny and legal challenges in an already polarized landscape.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCAN
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