The Rajasthan assembly, on Wednesday, passed a divisive bill that would regulate property transfers in communally sensitive regions. Officially titled 'The Rajasthan Prohibition of Transfer of Immovable Property and Provision for Protection of Tenants from Eviction from Premises in Disturbed Areas Bill, 2026', the law is also known as the Disturbed Areas Bill.
With this move, Rajasthan becomes the second state in India, after Gujarat, to implement such a bill. The Bill was passed by a voice vote following a heated five-hour debate that saw 30 members of the House deliberate on its implications.
The primary objective of the law is to prevent "distress sales" and forced migration in areas experiencing communal tension or demographic imbalance.
Declaration Of Disturbed Areas: The relevant District Collector can declare a locality "disturbed" for up to three years based on specific criteria, including rioting, improper clustering of one community with the intent to disturb demographic equilibrium, or threats to public order.
Property Transfer Restrictions: Once an area is declared disturbed, the sale or transfer of immovable property and the eviction of tenants are prohibited unless reviewed and approved by a competent government authority.
Any transfer made without such approval can be declared null and void.
The Bill mandates a minimum prison sentence of three years, extending up to five years, for anyone who coerces a sale or forcibly evicts a tenant in violation of the order.
Defending the Bill, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Jogaram Patel argued that the legislation is a tool for social stability rather than division.
"Very often, population imbalance and communal unrest force residents into a distress sale of their properties or cause them to leave rented accommodations in a hurry. This Bill will prevent that and put an end to forced migration," Patel stated.
Home Minister Jawahar Singh Bedam echoed this sentiment, claiming the law would protect those coerced into leaving their ancestral lands. "There are homes and temples lying locked because of distress migration. This Bill will protect the rights of those people," he said.
The Opposition, led by the Congress party, staged a strong protest, labelling the Bill a "copy-paste of the BJP's Gujarat model." Rajasthan Congress President Govind Singh Dotasara alleged that the Bill is designed to create a communal divide in a state known for peaceful co-existence.
Dotasara argued that labelling areas as "disturbed" would stigmatise neighbourhoods, ruin community relations, and impact social ties, including marriage prospects for residents.
"A Rent Control Act already exists in Rajasthan; what is the need for this Bill? It will destroy the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb of our state," he argued.
During the debate, a Congress MLA from Pilani referred to the BJP as the "Bhartiya Danga Party".
Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, though not present in the House, took to X (formerly Twitter) to condemn the legislation. He described it as a "divisive law" brought in to hide political failures.
