The Madhya Pradesh govt plans to introduce capital punishment for the ones concerned within the spiritual conversion of teen ladies, Leader Minister Mohan Yadav introduced all over an Global Girls’s Day tournament.
Talking at a central authority serve as in Bhopal on March 8, Mr Yadav stated the availability for the demise penalty could be added to the state’s current Freedom of Faith Act, evaluating it to the punishment for individuals who rape minors.
“The federal government may be very strict towards those that rape blameless daughters. A provision for the demise penalty has been made on this regard as our govt isn’t going to spare those that rape ladies via drive or via luring. We don’t need to give them a possibility to reside at any value. But even so this, a provision for capital punishment may be being made below the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Faith Act for individuals who religiously convert [girls],” Mr Yadav stated.
The Leader Minister later posted on X (previously Twitter) that his govt was once dedicated to the security and self-respect of “daughters.”
“After [the provision for] demise penalty for individuals who rape [our] daughters, now provision for capital punishment can also be made in Madhya Pradesh for individuals who convert daughters,” he mentioned.
Following the announcement, the state govt issued a commentary emphasising that strict motion could be taken towards those that “forcefully or via luring other people to marry or convert their faith.”
The commentary learn: “Leader Minister Dr. Yadav stated that the federal government will take the strictest steps towards those that misbehave with ladies, women folk and daughters. The culprits will probably be given demise penalty. No offender will probably be spared below any cases.”
The Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Faith Act, enacted in 2021, lately prohibits spiritual conversions thru misrepresentation, drive, coercion or fraudulent approach. It prescribes as much as 10 years imprisonment and a high-quality of Rs 50,000 for the ones discovered accountable of forcing spiritual conversions.
Right through the Girls’s Day birthday celebration, Mr Yadav’s safety element was once significantly treated via an all-women staff, together with the ones managing his cavalcade and using the legit cars.
The announcement has confronted grievance from opposition leaders. Congress MLA Arif Masood steered the Leader Minister to first outline “compelled conversion” and wondered the federal government’s talent to handle current instances of lacking ladies.
“First, the manager minister must explain what compelled conversion approach,” Mr Masood advised ANI. “Additionally, there are nonetheless lacking ladies in Bhopal. Not too long ago, a woman from Itkhedi went lacking, and her circle of relatives has been in misery for the previous 3 days. The CM talks about strict motion, however he has but to find her or the accused.”
State Congress president Jitu Patwari additionally criticised the state govt, alleging that roughly 4 lakh women folk in Madhya Pradesh have “disappeared” over the last 5 to 6 years.
The announcement has additionally drawn sharp grievance from spiritual leaders. Father Babu Joseph, former spokesperson for the Catholic Bishops’ Convention of India, strongly condemned the Leader Minister’s proposal, describing it as beside the point for a state legit whose responsibility comprises upholding constitutional rights. Talking to The Crux, he identified the contradiction of introducing capital punishment for spiritual conversion when many nations are transferring clear of such critical consequences. Father Joseph emphasized that spiritual trust is a private topic past state keep an eye on, and criticised the rising development of politicising spiritual problems in sure Indian states.
Equivalent legislative tendencies are underway in different BJP-governed states. The Rajasthan govt just lately tabled the Rajasthan Prohibition of Illegal Conversion of Faith Invoice, 2025, which seeks to criminalise spiritual conversion thru coercion, fraud, drive, and marriage.
In Maharashtra, a personal member’s Invoice on “love jihad” and anti-conversion was once indexed within the Legislative Meeting. The Invoice, introduced ahead via BJP MLAs Atul Bhatkhalkhar and Sudhir Mungantiwar, seeks to make forcible conversions a cognisable offence with imprisonment of as much as 3 years and a high-quality of as much as ₹15,000.
In the meantime, Maharashtra Leader Minister Devendra Fadnavis has additionally driven for a “love jihad legislation” within the state, claiming the federal government has won over 100,000 lawsuits of unlawful conversions, suggesting there’s a “methodical insanity” in the back of them.
More than one states throughout India, together with Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, and Odisha, have already enacted quite a lot of sorts of anti-conversion law, with consequences starting from imprisonment to really extensive fines.
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