Mumbai, March 17 – The Legislative Council passed the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, on Tuesday, amid concerns expressed by both opposition and ruling legislators about the potential misuse of its provisions by authorities and self-proclaimed protectors of religion.
The government stated that the Bill aims to prohibit unlawful religious conversions carried out through force, coercion, allurement, misrepresentation, or other fraudulent means.
The Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) opposed the Bill, while the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) supported it. The Council passed the Bill a day after it was passed by the Legislative Assembly following a heated debate.
Responding to the debate, Minister of State for Home, Pankaj Bhoyar, said that the Bill does not intend to take away a person's right to convert or curtail a woman's freedom, but only to curb forceful conversions.
He stated that it was not targeting any particular religion and would apply to all.
Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap questioned the necessity of the Bill, arguing that it appeared to be aimed at punishing or targeting a particular community and that forceful conversions were already dealt with under existing laws.
He claimed that the provisions gave the impression that the constitutional structure was being undermined.
BJP MLC Parinay Phuke claimed that the Bill was meant to protect Hindus and prevent demographic change. He argued that such laws were necessary to protect the Hindu population, citing population pressures from countries like Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.
He added that the Bill was brought by the "Hindu-wadi" Maharashtra government.
Although Shiv Sena (UBT) supported the Bill, its legislators Anil Parab and Sachin Ahir sought details of the instances that prompted its introduction and the actions taken earlier.
Minister Bhoyar stated that a committee under the DGP had extensively examined the issue before the Bill was drafted. He did not specify the number of cases that led to its introduction.
He said that although provisions existed to deal with crimes involving force or coercion, there was no independent law to address conversions specifically.
Independent MLC Satyajeet Tambe supported the Bill but cautioned that its implementation should not negatively affect youth or their right to love.
He suggested that children born in disputed marriages should be allowed to choose their religion at 18 instead of automatically being assigned the mother’s religion.
According to the Bill, anyone intending to convert, as well as individuals or institutions organising a conversion ceremony, must give a 60-day advance notice to the district magistrate or an authorised officer.
The authority will publicly display details of the proposed conversion and invite objections within 30 days.
The Bill mandates that the converted person and the organiser submit a declaration within 21 days after the ceremony. It allows parents, siblings, or close relatives to lodge an FIR if they suspect unlawful conversion, and requires police to register such complaints.
The burden of proof lies on the person who caused, assisted, or abetted the conversion.
The Bill proposes stringent administrative requirements and criminal penalties. Section 14 empowers the state to ban and fine organisations found guilty of facilitating or funding illegal conversions.
Section 9 provides for imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh. The government has maintained that the law is necessary to protect vulnerable individuals from predatory conversion tactics.