by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – In a move that appears to violate India’s constitutionally protected right to freedom of religion, the Hindu-nationalist-led state of Rajasthan has approved an anti-conversion law that provides prison terms for anyone who “unduly influences” a person to change their religion and requires citizens who want to change their faith to inform authorities 60 days in advance, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Rajasthan will become India’s 12th state to have anti-conversion legislation if the bill is passed by the state legislature during the winter assembly session. Notably, such laws in other Indian states have been abused to severely harass and persecute Christians.
Titled the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill 2024, the anti-conversion law provides that people found to have suffered unlawful conversions can be compensated up to 500,000 Indian rupees (about $590), while offenders may be imprisoned for up to 10 years, ICC explains in its report.
“It also stipulates that any individual who wishes to convert to another religion must notify the district authority at least 60 days in advance. Then, a notice of 30 days must be given for any ceremony for the conversion. Then again, after the conversion, the person concerned must inform the collector through an affidavit within 60 days,” ICC reports.
“These three layers of the conversion process make it formidable and controversial and could also likely contradict the country’s constitutional right to freedom of religion,” ICC notes.
The Indian states that already have anti-conversion laws in place are Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.
Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India ranks 11 on the Open Doors World Watch List 2024 of the top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Israel will immediately sever all contact with three additional United Nations agencies and international bodies, the Foreign Ministry confirmed Tuesday, expanding a sweeping reassessment of Israel’s engagement with UN institutions.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in two cases over whether biological males can participate in women’s and girls’ sports.
Ukrainians struggled to cope with freezing temperatures Tuesday after Russia launched its second massive drone and missile assault in four days, killing and wounding civilians and knocking out power and heating in several regions, Ukrainian officials said.
American evangelist Franklin Graham has urged prayers for the United States and its leaders, saying “the radical socialist left” is seeking the destruction of the nation after the killing of a Christian woman by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
Christian activists say religious freedom is under “unprecedented threat” in China and India, citing a sharp escalation in government actions and extremist violence targeting believers.
The administration of Donald Trump has formally designated three Middle Eastern branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organizations, following through on a long-signaled policy shift that could reverberate across U.S. relations in the Middle East, including with allies Qatar and Turkey.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday urged Iranians to continue protesting against the Islamic Republic, declaring that “help is on the way” as reports mount of a sweeping and deadly crackdown on nationwide demonstrations.