Rajasthan's new bill mandates 90-day notice for religious conversions
Rajasthan just introduced a new bill to regulate religious conversions, aiming to crack down on conversions done through force, fraud, or digital propaganda.
If the bill becomes law, violators could face 7-14 years in jail and at least ₹5 lakh in fines.
Plus, anyone planning to convert must notify the District Magistrate ahead of time.
Stricter penalties for minors, SC members
The rules get stricter if minors or Scheduled Caste (SC) members are involved—penalties jump to 10-20 years in jail and up to ₹10 lakh in fines.
Organizing mass conversions could mean life imprisonment and a fine as high as ₹30 lakh.
Authorities can also seize or demolish properties used for illegal conversions.
Propaganda includes social media posts
Anyone converting has to give a 90-day notice; those officiating need to give 60 days' notice.
These notices go public so objections can be raised and checked by officials.
The bill even counts social media posts as "propaganda," so online activity is under watch too.
Notably, "ghar wapsi" (returning to one's ancestral faith) isn't penalized—highlighting how much more closely Rajasthan wants to monitor religious changes now.