The Maharashtra government on Friday introduced the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill (Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam), 2026, aimed at tightening provisions against forced or fraudulent religious conversions. Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar tabled the Bill in the State Legislative Assembly.
The proposed legislation seeks to uphold the constitutional right to freedom of religion while establishing legal safeguards against unlawful conversions and creating a regulatory framework for religious conversion.
Provisions in the draft legislation
According to the draft legislation, the Bill aims to prevent unlawful religious conversions carried out through misrepresentation, force, undue influence, coercion, allurement, or marriage. The government argues that such practices can disturb social harmony and undermine an individual’s constitutional right to freely profess and practise religion.
Punishment for violations
Non-compliance with procedural requirements may invite penalties, including imprisonment and fines, as proposed in the Bill.
Draft provisions
As per the draft Bill, any person intending to convert must submit prior notice to the district magistrate. The law requires a 60-day advance intimation before conversion and mandates that the conversion be registered within 25 days after it takes place. Priests or organisations conducting the conversion must also inform the authorities in advance. Failure to comply may attract penal action under the proposed law.
Reason for the legislation
The state cabinet recently approved the draft following a reported rise in cases of alleged forced religious conversions. While states such as Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu have laws regulating forced religious conversions, Maharashtra currently does not have a specific law addressing the issue.
What happens next
The Bill will now be taken up for discussion in both Houses of the state legislature. If approved by the Assembly and the Legislative Council, it will be sent to the governor of Maharashtra for assent. The legislature is expected to deliberate on the Bill next week.
Call for detailed debate
BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar described the proposed legislation as historic and called for a detailed discussion, saying, “Adequate time should be given to deliberate on the Bill, and the legislation should not be rushed through in haste.”
Opposition raises concerns
Opposition MLAs Jitendra Awhad and Rais Shaikh expressed reservations about the Bill while speaking to the media at Vidhan Bhavan. “It looks like this was done to target a particular community,” Shaikh said.
