religious freedom

Mumbai, March 17 The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, which has stringent provisions to prohibit religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement, or marriage, moved a step closer to becoming a law on Tuesday with its passage in the council.With the state...

Mumbai, March 17 – On Tuesday, legislators from the ruling MahaYuti alliance, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), voiced concerns about the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, in the State Legislative Council."While implementing the Freedom of Religion Act, if anyone is targeted, we...

Canberra, March 17 – The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) co-chair, Senator Deborah O’Neill (Labour), continues to highlight the international concern over human rights violations in Tibet and the protection of Tibetan cultural and religious identity. Senator O’Neill recently...

March 17, New Delhi: India's Ambassador to the United Nations, Parvathaneni Harish, has highlighted what he called the "brutal repression" of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in Pakistan and the air-bombing campaigns during the holy month of Ramadan.Delivering India's statement at the...

Mumbai, March 17 – The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill-2026 was passed after a heated debate late Monday night in the state Legislative Assembly. The ruling Mahayuti government strongly defended the necessity of the Bill to curb unlawful and forced conversion, while cracks appeared within...

United Nations, March 17. India has exposed Pakistan’s own Islamophobia, which is evident in the deadly persecution of the Ahmadiyyas, and Islamabad’s representative virtually admitted it was happening.Referring to Pakistan only as “our western neighbour”, India’s Permanent Representative P...

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...

Mumbai, March 16 – Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified on Monday that the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, is not directed against any specific religion. He emphasized that the Bill is being introduced solely to prevent religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud...

New York, March 16 A US federal government commission has flagged the alleged worsening of religious freedom in India and called for linking Washington's future security assistance and bilateral trade to improvements in New Delhi's record on the issue.India on Monday categorically rejected the...

Mumbai, March 16 – NCP (SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad sparked a major controversy in the Legislative Assembly on Monday while speaking on the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill – 2026. During his speech, he cited various historical instances.A heated exchange erupted when he made a specific...

New Delhi, March 16 India categorically rejected on Monday a report by the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which called for linking Washington's security assistance and bilateral trade to improvements in New Delhi's record on religious freedom.In its report, USCIRF...

March 16, New Delhi – India has rejected the latest report released by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), calling its observations biased and motivated.In response to media queries regarding the 2026 Annual Report of the United States Commission on...

Mumbai, March 16 – 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 legislative assembly on Monday.The...

New Delhi, March 16 – India on Monday dismissed the annual report of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), stating that the US religious freedom watchdog has consistently presented a distorted and selective picture of India for several years, relying on...

Srinagar, March 16 Authorities in Kashmir closed the historic Jamia Masjid here on Monday for congregational prayers on the occasion of Shab-e-Qadr, officials said.The grand mosque in the Nowhatta locality of the city was closed for the night-long Shab-e-Qadr (night of forgiveness) prayers...

Mumbai, March 16 – 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 legislative assembly on Monday.The...

FGN38: UK-STARMER-2NDLD WASIAUK won't be drawn into 'wider war': PM StarmerLondon: Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Monday that he will not allow the UK to be drawn into a "wider war" in the Middle East, asserting that he is working with European allies to develop a "viable plan" to...

New York, March 16 A US federal government commission has raised concerns about the alleged worsening of religious freedom in India and called for it to be designated as a "Country of Particular Concern."There have been no immediate comments from India on the report issued by the US Commission...

Mumbai, March 16 – Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis defended the state government's move to introduce the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill on Monday, which aims to curb unlawful religious conversions within the state.He stated that the Bill was presented in response to several...

Islamabad, March 16 The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the US government to redesignate Pakistan as a 'Country of Particular Concern' (CPC), due to its systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom, as defined by the...