Mumbai, March 16 – The Maharashtra Assembly on Monday passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, which includes strict provisions to prohibit religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement, or marriage, by voice vote.
According to the Bill, individuals involved in unlawful conversions under the pretext of marriage will be punished with imprisonment of seven years, and will also be liable for a fine of Rs 1 lakh.
Violations concerning minors, individuals with unsound minds, women, or individuals from the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes will be punishable with imprisonment of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh.
Mass conversions will entail a seven-year jail term and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Repeat offenders can face a 10-year jail sentence and a fine of Rs 5 lakh, according to the Bill.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the proposed anti-conversion law in Maharashtra is not targeted against any particular religion, and its sole aim is to prevent religious conversions carried out through force, fraud, or inducement.
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 by Article 25 of the Constitution. The right to religion does not include the right to convert another person through coercion, misrepresentation, fraud, or inducement," Fadnavis said, citing Supreme Court rulings.
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 politicizing the issue for electoral gains, but once they carefully read the bill, 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 equally to all religions, 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.
Responding 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.