Rajasthan Assembly
During a recent debate over the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2025, in the Assembly, BJP MLA Gopal Sharma raised many eyebrows, asking Congress legislators Rafeek Khan and Amin Kazi to return to “their original religion.
“Aur jo hamare sadasya dharm parivartan kiye hue hain, Shriman Rafiq Khan aur Kagzi Wagerah, inse nivedan karta hun ki mool dharm mein aaiye, mool dharm mein aaiye (And our members who have changed their religion, Rafeek Khan and (Amin) Kagzi, I request them to come back to their original religion, come back to their original religion),” Sharma said in the Assembly while debating on the bill.
Expressing displeasure over Sharma’s remark, Congress MLA Rafeek Khan said, “My original religion is the religion into which I was born. By asking other people to convert, it is Sharma, who is behaving like an accused as per the anti-conversion bill,” he was quoted as saying by The Wire.
“Ghar wapsi is for people who voluntarily want to change their religion. People such as Sharma, who are asking others to convert, are ironically committing the same offences mentioned in the bill,” the Congress MLA remarked.
While forceful conversion is punishable, it does not apply to those who convert to their original religion or “ghar wapsi.” The term “Ghar Wapsi” refers to a programme of the Sangh Parivar aimed at religious conversion to Hinduism from Islam, Christianity, and other religions in India.
The Sangh believes that all Indians were originally Hindus and thus this conversion will necessarily mean a ‘return.’
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Rajasthan government on September 9 passed the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Religious Conversion Bill, 2025, that proposes punishment ranging from seven to 14 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh for conversion through fraudulent means.
The bill was passed by voice vote. BJP MLAs and independents supported the bill, while Congress legislators did not participate in the debate.
Conversion of minors, women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and persons with disabilities through deceit would attract a jail term of 10 to 20 years and a fine of at least Rs 10 lakh.
Mass conversions through fraudulent means would be punishable with imprisonment of 20 years to life and a fine of not less than Rs 25 lakh.
Receiving foreign or illegal funds for conversion activities would also invite rigorous imprisonment of 10 to 20 years and a fine of at least Rs 20 lakh under the proposed legislation.
The bill further states that properties used for forced conversion could be confiscated, and marriages done for the purpose of unlawful conversion could be annulled by family courts or competent courts.
State minister of state for the home department Jawahar Singh Bedham said that while Article 25 of the Constitution
guarantees freedom of religion, it does not allow any poor, Dalit, Tribal, oppressed, exploited, deprived person to be forced to change his religion by greed, temptation, fear or deception,” said Bedham.The bill is crucial to maintain social harmony and ensure a secure future in the state, he stressed.
This post was last modified on September 11, 2025 2:58 pm