Calling it ‘draconian’, an alliance of more than 15 organisations has urged Rajasthan Governor Haribhau Kisanrao Bagade to not sign the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion Bill, 2025, instead referring it to the President, Droupadi Murmu,
“Because this law is draconian in its provisions, unconstitutional in its sections, brazenly violating Articles 14, 19, 21 and 25, they will not stand scrutiny under the due process of law and should be referred to the President under Article 200 of the Constitution of India,” the ‘Coordination of Organisations’ stated in a joint statement after its meeting here on Thursday.
“We all have decided to meet the Governor and explain to him to not sign this ‘unconstitutional bill’ and instead send it to the President of India under Article 200,” Sawai Singh, John Mathew and Muzammil who jointly signed the statement on behalf of the group said.
This bill will result in a two-class system of governance, they said, adding: “We will also hold public rallies and meetings in all districts and the state capital and share social media campaigns against this law/Bill. Signature and postcard campaigns for submission to the Governor will also be carried out,” the statement read.
The signatories said they will move the Supreme Court once the law comes into force.
As many as 12 states have already legislated on the Anti-Conversion Acts, Rajasthan is now the 13th state to pass this law after Odisha (1967), Madhya Pradesh (initial 1968 now a new law of 2021), Arunachal Pradesh (1978), Chhattisgarh (2000 and 2006), Tamil Nadu (2002 that was repealed in 2006), Gujarat (2003, with amendments in 2021), Himachal Pradesh (2006, with amendments in 2019), Jharkhand (2017), Uttarakhand (2018), Uttar Pradesh (2020 with amendments in 2024), Haryana (2022) and Karnataka (2022).
These religious conversion laws are being implemented in 11 states presently, with Rajasthan awaiting the Governor’s assent and Tamil Nadu having repealed it in 2006.