Madhya Pradesh Government Notifies Law Against Religious Conversion

The new Act replaced the Freedom of Religion bill, which has provisions of 10 years imprisonment in some cases and hefty fine for violators, which was passed on March 8 by the state Legislative Assembly.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has notified the law against religious conversion through fraudulent means, including those for the sake of marriage, that stipulates a jail term of up to 10 years for violators, after Governor Anandiben Patel gave her assent. "The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2021 has been promulgated and published in the gazette notification on March 27 after the approval given by the Governor a day earlier (on March 26)," Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Madhya Pradesh, Rajesh Rajora, said on Tuesday. The new Act replaced the Freedom of Religion bill, which has provisions of 10 years imprisonment in some cases and hefty fine for violators, which was passed on March 8 by the state Legislative Assembly. The Act has replaced the ordinance passed by the state cabinet in December last year and promulgated in January, 2021.