Overview

• The Supreme Court has agreed to consider a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the 2024 amendments to Uttar Pradesh's anti-conversion law.
• The PIL, filed by Roop Rekha Verma and others, alleges violations of Articles 14, 19, 21, and 25 of the Constitution, citing concerns over equality, free speech, and religious freedom.
• Key provisions of the law, including Sections 2 and 3, are criticized for being vague and overly broad, enabling arbitrary enforcement and discriminatory practices.
• The petition also challenges the law's expansion of complainant categories without procedural safeguards and its imposition of a reverse burden of proof, which undermines the presumption of innocence.
• Section 5 of the law is contested for reinforcing gender stereotypes by presuming all women are vulnerable to illegal conversions, undermining their autonomy.