Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2006
Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act 2006 is a bill unanimously passed by the Legislature of Himachal Pradesh state in India on 19 December 2006.
According to Chief minister Virbhadra Singh, "The Bill was intended to prevent forcible conversions. Conversions created resentment among several sections of the society and also inflame religious passions leading to communal clashes," he said. He claimed the Bill was meant to prevent exploitation of the depressed classes.
He said it has been observed that there was a rise in conversions based on allurement. "Unless checked well in time this practice may erode the confidence and mutual trust between the different ethnic and religious groups in the state," the Chief Minister said.
The provisions of the Bill state that no person shall convert or attempt to convert, either directly or otherwise, any person from one religion to another by the use of force or by inducement or by any other fraudulent means, nor shall any person abet any such conversion.
On 20 February 2007, Governor Vishnu Sadashiv Kokje gave his assent to the Himachal Pradesh Freedom of Religion Bill 2006.
