Uttarakhand anti-conversion bill stalls at Raj Bhavan over technical flaws
Uttarakhand anti-conversion bill stalls at Raj Bhavan over technical flaws
M.U.H
17/12/202511
DEHRADUN: A major legislative initiative of the Uttarakhand government aimed at substantially toughening penalties for forced religious conversions has hit a roadblock at the Governor’s office. The proposed Uttarakhand Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2025, has been returned to the government by Governor Lt Gen Gurmeet Singh (Retd.), citing technical discrepancies and the need for reconsideration.
Sources said the Governor’s office flagged several procedural irregularities in the draft legislation. “The Bill was sent back to the Lok Bhavan (formerly Raj Bhavan) on Tuesday after the legislative department identified minor but critical flaws in the drafting process,” an official familiar with the development said.
The setback has delayed the implementation of the proposed stringent law, leaving the government with two immediate options. “One option is to promulgate an ordinance to bring the law into force without delay,” a senior official explained. “The other is to reintroduce the Bill in the upcoming State Assembly session and secure its passage again with a majority.”
Uttarakhand already has an anti-conversion law, first enacted in 2018 and amended by the Pushkar Singh Dhami government in 2022 to enhance punishments.
The latest amendment, approved by the state cabinet on August 13, 2025, citing the “increasing seriousness of conversion cases”, was passed by the Assembly during its Gairsain session on August 20 and subsequently forwarded to the Governor for assent.
The proposed law significantly tightens provisions against conversion through coercion, deceit or allurement. One of the key changes expands the scope for lodging complaints. “Earlier, complaints were largely limited to close blood relatives. Under the new provisions, any individual can file a complaint,” a source said.
For general conversion-related offences, the proposed punishment has been enhanced from the earlier two-to-seven years of imprisonment to a stricter three-to-ten years. District Magistrates have also been empowered, on the lines of the Gangster Act, to confiscate properties linked to illegal conversion activities.
The harshest penalties are reserved for cases involving serious crimes. Those convicted of conversion through false promises of marriage, use of force, conspiracy, trafficking of minors or rape would face a minimum sentence of 20 years, extending up to life imprisonment, along with an additional fine of up to Rs 10 lakh.
