NEW DELHI, March 17 -- The headline, "Government Seeks Death Penalty for Converting Girls," dominated the March 9, 2025, edition of Free Press, with other newspapers in Madhya Pradesh echoing the same. The statement, made by Madhya Pradesh's Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, has stirred considerable debate. Speaking at an International Women's Day event at the Kushabhau Thakre International Convention Centre on March 8, 2025, he announced that his government would introduce provisions for capital punishment for individuals involved in the forced religious conversion of girls. This was coupled with his assertion that Madhya Pradesh was the first state to enact the death penalty for rapists of minor girls.

While this announcement raises question...