The Supreme Court on Wednesday indicated that it would take up, in detail, a batch of petitions challenging anti-religious conversion laws enacted across several Indian states. These laws, which purport to prevent forced or unlawful religious conversions, have drawn criticism for allegedly being misused to target certain religious communities and infringe upon individuals' right to freely choose their faith.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjay Kumar briefly heard the matter today and scheduled a detailed hearing for the week starting May 13, 2025.

"We need to hear this. List it in the week commencing May 13, 2025," CJI Khanna said during the proceedings. Notably, May 13 is also the date of CJI Khanna’s retirement from office.

Advocate Ashwini Upadhyay, who has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) against unlawful religious conversions, defended the laws under challenge. He claimed that thousands of Hindus are being converted every day through coercive means. “My Lord, conversion is waging war. Ten thousand Hindus are converted every day,” he submitted.

However, the Court declined to entertain his arguments at this stage, emphasizing the need to hear submissions from all sides. “Why are you arguing? Have we heard the other side? We have to hear them first,” the Bench stated.

The laws under scrutiny include the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act, 2019; the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Ordinance, 2020; the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Ordinance, 2020; and a similar law enacted in Uttarakhand.

In 2021, the Court allowed Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind to intervene in the matter. The organization had raised concerns over alleged harassment of Muslims across the country under the guise of implementing these laws.