SC seeks Rajasthan govt's reply on plea against anti-conversion law

The Supreme Court on Friday sought response from the Rajasthan government on a plea challenging the validity of the provisions of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta issued notice to the state government seeking its response on the plea filed by the Peoples Union For Civil Liberties and others.

The bench tagged the plea with separate pending petitions raising similar issue.

Senior advocate Sanjay Parikh appeared for the petitioners.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told the bench that similar matters are pending before the apex court and this plea be tagged with them.

 

The petitioners have sought a declaration that provisions of the Act are "arbitrary, unreasonable, illegal and ultra vires" the Constitution and also violative of Articles, including Article 14 (equality before law) and Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty).

On November 17, the top court sought response from the Rajasthan government and others on a separate plea challenging the validity of the Act.

The apex court on November 3 had agreed to hear two separate petitions challenging the validity of several provisions of the law against illegal religious conversions that came into force in Rajasthan.

In September, another bench of the apex court sought the stand of several states on separate pleas seeking a stay on their respective anti-conversion laws.

The top court had then made it clear that it would consider the prayer for staying the operation of such laws once the replies were filed.

The bench was then dealing with a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of anti-conversion laws enacted by several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand and Karnataka.