In its affidavit, the Rajasthan government clarified its commitment to abide by the directives and guidelines issued by the apex court and the rule of law until legislation on this important subject is enacted. NEW DELHI: The BJP-led Rajasthan government on Tuesday submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court, stating its intention to enact legislation against religious conversion, also known as an anti-conversion law. "The state of Rajasthan is in the process of bringing its own legislation, and till such time, it will strictly abide by the law on the subject, guidelines or the directions passed by this Hon'ble court," the state government said in its affidavit filed in the top court. The affidavit by Additional Superintendent of Police Bharat Lal Meena was filed in a 2022 PIL, which had been filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and lawyer Ashwini Kumar Upadhyaya, seeking measures to prevent fraudulent and forced religious conversions. The top court had said that forcible religious conversions, if true, were a "serious issue" which could affect the security of the nation, and had sought the response of the Centre. Upadhyaya's PIL, filed in 2022, urged the Union and States to take stringent action to curb fraudulent and coercive religious conversions, including those achieved through intimidation, threats, deceitful inducements, and monetary benefits. Furthermore, the petitioner had sought the intervention of agencies such as the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) to investigate the circumstances leading to the suicide of 17-year-old Lavanya in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. As an alternative, the petitioner had proposed that the Law Commission of India prepare a report and draft legislation to address religious conversion achieved through intimidation, threats, deceitful inducements, and monetary benefits. During a hearing in November 2022, the bench, led by Justice MR Shah and Justice Hima Kohli, expressed concern about forced religious conversions, acknowledging their potential threat to national security. Consequently, the court solicited responses from the Centre and states on this matter. However, the court found certain statements in Upadhyaya's petition to be derogatory towards minority religions. As a result, the petitioner's name was removed from the case title, which was changed to "In Re: The Issue of Religious Conversion." In addition to Upadhyaya's petition, the Supreme Court had consolidated other PILs challenging laws passed by several states, including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, and Gujarat, regarding religious conversions. These laws had been criticised by the top court for their alleged discriminatory impact on specific minority communities.