No plans to bring central anti-conversion law to curb interfaith marriages, MHA tells Parliament

New Delhi: The Centre has no plans to enact an anti-conversion law to curb interfaith marriages, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs informed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday. 

Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the issues related to religious conversions are primarily the concerns of state governments. The law enforcement agencies will take action whenever such instances are reported.

In a reply to a question, Reddy said that the Centre has no plans to enact a central anti-conversion law to curb interfaith marriages.

"Public order and police are state subjects as per the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution and hence, prevention, detection, registration, investigation and prosecution of offences related to religious conversions are primarily the concerns of state governments and Union Territory administrations.

"Action is taken as per existing laws by law enforcing agencies whenever instances of violation come to notice," he said.

On November 28, 2020, Uttar Pradesh became the first state to promulgate the anti-conversion law when the Governor Anandiben Patel passed the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020. 

The ordinance says that an individual who forcefully marries a girl for the sheer purpose of converting her religion can face punishment up to 10 years in jail. Besides this, mass conversions shall be punishable with a jail term of 3-10 years and a fine of Rs 50,000 on the organizations conducting it. 

In January 2021, the Supreme Court had agreed to examine the new laws of Uttar Pradesh regulating religious conversions due to inter-faith marriages. However, a bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde refused to stay the controversial provisions of the laws and issued notices to state governments on two different petitions. 

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