The Supreme Court (SC) is currently examining the constitutional validity of anti-conversion laws enacted by various states in India and has asked several state governments to respond to petitions challenging these laws. A bench of Chief Justice B.R. Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran is hearing a collection of petitions against the laws. The states required to respond include Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Other states with similar laws being challenged include Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Karnataka. The court has granted the states four weeks to file their responses and has scheduled a further hearing in the matter after six weeks.

The petitions before the Supreme Court challenge the constitutionality of laws that regulate religious conversions, particularly those related to interfaith marriages. The petitioners argue that these laws infringe upon fundamental rights and are often used to harass couples in interfaith marriages. Senior advocate Chander Uday Singh, representing Citizens for Justice and Peace, has urged the court to hear the matter urgently, highlighting concerns that state governments are amending the laws to make them more stringent. Singh also pointed out that the Uttar Pradesh anti-conversion law imposes a 20-year jail term, sets stringent bail conditions, and shifts the burden of proving innocence onto the accused, which deviates from standard criminal law practices. He also noted that amendments in 2024 allow third parties to file complaints, leading to increased harassment of interfaith couples.

Senior advocate Indira Jaising, representing another petitioner, has requested the continuation of an interim stay on a section of the Madhya Pradesh anti-conversion law. The Madhya Pradesh High Court had previously stayed a section of the law due to its unreasonable conditions. The Supreme Court is also considering transferring similar pending petitions from various High Courts to itself to ensure a comprehensive examination of the issue.

The Supreme Court had previously agreed to examine the anti-conversion laws in January 2021, focusing on those in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, which regulate religious conversions related to interfaith marriages. The Uttar Pradesh law covers all religious conversions and establishes detailed procedures for those wishing to convert. The Uttarakhand law prescribes a two-year jail term for conversions achieved through force or allurement, where allurement includes cash, employment, or material benefits.

The court has clarified that it will consider the request to stay the operation of the anti-conversion laws once the states have filed their replies. The outcome of these hearings could have significant implications for religious freedom and interfaith relations in India.