Maharashtra passes Freedom of Religion Bill; CM says not against any community

The Maharashtra assembly on Monday night passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, which has stringent provisions to prohibit religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement or marriage, by voice vote.

As per the Bill, those involved in unlawful conversions on the pretext of marriage will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and shall also be liable for a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

Violations in respect of a minor, a person of unsound mind, a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh.

Mass conversions will have a jail term of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Repeat offenders can get a jail sentence of 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh, as per the Bill.

"The proposed anti-conversion law in Maharashtra is not directed against any particular religion, and it aims only to prevent religious conversions carried out through force, fraud or inducement, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the assembly.

He noted that several states, including Odisha, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka and Jharkhand, have already enacted similar laws.

"This bill does not restrict a person's right to follow a religion as guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution. The right to religion does not include the right to convert another person through coercion, misrepresentation, fraud or allurement," Fadnavis said and cited rulings of the Supreme Court.

Earlier in the day, Fadnavis told reporters that several women had been lured into relationships, married, and later abandoned, asserting that the bill against fraudulent religious conversion aims to address these issues and curb such practices.

"The Opposition parties are politicising the issue for vote-bank gains, but once they read the bill carefully, they will have no objections," he added.

Speaking in the assembly, Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, also stated that complaints can be filed by the affected individual or close relatives, while the police may also take action in certain cases.

Seeking support for the passage of the bill, the chief minister said the bill is intended to protect citizens from unlawful conversions and help maintain law and order.

Notably, the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) has extended its support to the bill.

Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav said the bill aims to protect the right to religious freedom and prevent illegal religious conversions.

"It is comprehensive and does not target any specific religion, despite rumours or misconceptions. The objective is to curb unethical practices and misuse of religion that harm individuals or communities," Jadhav said, adding that reports of the bill targeting a particular religion are incorrect.

The bill applies to all religions equally, and its intent is to prevent coercion or inducement in religious conversion, he added, citing Dr B.R. Ambedkar's conversion in 1956 as voluntary and without coercion.

He emphasised that every religion has certain harmful practices that restrict human rights, and the bill is meant to regulate such practices legally.

A majority of Opposition MLAs demanded that the bill be referred to a joint select committee of the legislature for discussions.

Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar said the proposed law aims to prevent conversions carried out through fraud, coercion or inducement while safeguarding Constitutional rights.

Replying to the debate in the House, Bhoyar said the bill seeks to ensure that religious conversions take place voluntarily and in a transparent manner.

Some members had objected to the provision requiring a person intending to convert to another religion to give a 60-day prior notice to the district magistrate, calling it unjust and against constitutional guarantees, he said.

"The objective of this provision is only to verify that the conversion is taking place out of free will and not through fraud, force or inducement," Bhoyar said, adding that the procedure was meant to provide transparency and protection rather than restrict personal liberty.

The minister also addressed concerns over the requirement to inform authorities within 21 days after the conversion, failing which the conversion could be treated as invalid.

He said the requirement was meant for administrative record-keeping and to prevent potential legal and social disputes in the future.

Responding to criticism that relatives or other persons could file complaints regarding the forced conversions, Bhoyar said in many cases, victims may not be in a position to approach the police themselves.

"The provision allowing others to lodge complaints is intended to ensure protection where fraud, pressure or threats are suspected," he said.

Bhoyar stated that the law does not deny adults the right to change their religion, noting that the Constitution guarantees the freedom to profess, practice and propagate religion.

The minister added that special care would be taken during implementation to ensure the protection of women's rights, adding that the law seeks to safeguard women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minors from forced or fraudulent conversions.

Bhoyar further said that if a marriage takes place on the basis of an illegal conversion and a child is born, the child would be considered to follow the mother's original religion prior to conversion, as per provisions in the bill.

BJP's Atul Bhatkalkar warned against attempts to alter Maharashtra's demography through religious conversion, saying such efforts would not succeed.

After the discussion, presiding officer Sanjay Kelkar declared the bill passed.

Nitin Raut and other MLAs from the Opposition had raised concerns over possible "vigilantism".

Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh said the objective and essence of the bill appear to impact the Constitution and right to privacy.

Samajwadi Party MLAs Abu Asim Azmi and Rais Shaikh also opposed the bill.

Shaikh said the bill violates Articles 14, 15, and 21 of the Constitution.

"Maharashtra is a progressive state which has always set an example for the rest of the country. This bill curtails the Constitutional right to freedom of religion," he said.

- Ends