PUCL, 19 civil society groups to move SC against Rajasthan Anti-Conversion Act

As many as 20 civil society organisations have decided to move the Supreme Court against the Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion Act, 2025, passed by the Rajasthan legislative assembly last month.

These organisations have declared to organise massive demonstrations against the enactment of the Act in association with all secular groups, religious bodies, and like-minded political parties after Diwali.

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Addressing a joint press conference here on Saturday afternoon, the leaders of these outfits described the Act as unconstitutional, saying that such anti-conversion Acts have been legislated and promulgated in 12 states, including Rajasthan.

Residents from seven of the 11 states have already challenged the legislation in the apex court, according to Muzamil Razvi of APCR and Sumitra Chopra of the CPI-M. These states are Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Karnataka.

“We have also decided to file a writ before the Supreme Court,” said Jaipur Christian Fellowship president John Mathew and Narendra Kumar of the Youth Buddhist Society of India.

The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Rajasthan Samagra Seva Sangh, Communist Party of India (CPI), and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) are among 20 organisations that have come together to form the coordination body.

The state assembly passed the bill on September 9 amid protests and a boycott by the opposition Congress. With the Governor’s signature on October 9 and issuance of the gazette notification, the bill in its revised form has become a law.

The original bill was introduced in the budget session (January-March 2025) of the state assembly, but could not be passed during the session. Subsequently, some organisations, including the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), made representations to the government requesting that the provisions and clauses of the Bill be made more effective and stringent.

The old bill was withdrawn, and a revised version was introduced in the monsoon session last month. It was finally passed on September 9, 2025.

The revised Act, with steep punishments and penalties, is considered the most stringent among similar laws enacted by about a dozen other states.

The Act stipulates harsher provisions, including jail terms ranging from 7-10 years and fines ranging from Rs 5-10 lakh up to Rs 1 crore, depending on the category and nature of the offence.

The new law also provides for the confiscation and demolition of properties belonging to those accused of involvement in mass conversions. Fines realised from offenders will be paid to the victims, in addition to any compensation awarded by the court.