Pune Police withdraws conversion law provisions in two cases

Pune Police recently withdrew conversion law provisions from two cases after officials determined that the relevant Act was not yet in force. This incident highlights the complexities surrounding religious conversion laws in India, which have been introduced by the BJP in various states since 2018, beginning in Uttarakhand.

While Article 25 of the Indian Constitution protects the freedom to propagate religion, these state-level laws create legal friction. Historical data suggests that religious conversion rates in India have remained relatively low due to strong community and family ties, with Ministry of Home reports from the 1980s showing limited numbers of recorded conversions.