The Rajasthan government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that it is in the process of drafting legislation to prevent religious conversions through illegal means within the state.
In an affidavit submitted by Additional Superintendent of Police Bharat Lal Meena, the state government assured the court of its commitment to adhering to current laws and any guidelines or directions issued by the Supreme Court until the new legislation is enacted.
"The state of Rajasthan is in the process of bringing its own legislation and till such time, it will strictly abide by the law on the subject, guidelines or the directions passed by this Hon'ble court," the affidavit stated.
Government responds to 2022 PIL
The affidavit was filed in response to a 2022 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay, represented by advocate Ashwani Dubey, which called for stringent measures to curb fraudulent religious conversions carried out through intimidation, threats, deceptive luring, or offering gifts and monetary benefits.
The Supreme Court had earlier expressed concern over forcible religious conversions, describing them as a "serious issue" that could impact national security. The court had sought a response from the Centre regarding the matter.
Supreme Court revises title of the case
In a significant move, the top court revised the title of the case from 'Ashwini Upadhyay Vs State' to "In Re: The Issue Of Religious Conversion" after noting certain alleged derogatory remarks against a minority community made in the petition.
Additionally, the Supreme Court is currently reviewing multiple petitions challenging the anti-conversion laws of states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. These laws have been criticized for allegedly discriminating against particular minority communities.
(With PTI Inputs)
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