Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Saturday that his government would make a provision for the death penalty for religious conversion of girls, along the lines of punishment for rape of minors.

Yadav made the announcement at a programme organised here to mark International Women's Day.

“The government is very strict against those who rape innocent daughters. A provision for the death penalty has been made in this regard. Besides this, a provision for capital punishment will also be made in the Madhya Pradesh Freedom of Religion Act for religious conversion,” he said.

Yadav said the state won’t spare those behind illegal conversions.

“The government has resolved that it will deal strictly with such evil practices and wrongdoings,” he said.

Later, Yadav said on X that the Madhya Pradesh government is dedicated to the protection and self-respect of daughters.

“After (provision for) death penalty for those who rape (our) daughters, now provision for capital punishment will also be made in Madhya Pradesh for those who convert daughters,” he said.

During the Women’s Day event in Bhopal, the CM also digitally transferred Rs 1,552.73 crore to the accounts of more than 1.27 crore beneficiaries of ‘Ladli Behna Yojana’, a monthly financial assistance scheme for women.

He also transferred a grant of Rs 55.95 crore to over 26 lakh eligible beneficiaries under the LPG Cylinder Refill Scheme, under which a subsidy of Rs 450 is provided per cylinder a month.

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