Freedom of Religion Bill passed in Maharashtra Assembly; ‘not against any community’, says Fadnavis

The Maharashtra Assembly on Monday night (March 16, 2026) passed the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, which contains stringent provisions banning conversions effected through coercion, fraud, inducement or voice vote through marriage.

According to the bill, those involved in illegal conversion on the pretext of marriage will be punished with seven years’ imprisonment and also a fine of Rs 1 lakh.

Violations involving a minor, a mentally ill person, a woman or a person belonging to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe will be punishable with seven years’ imprisonment and a fine of ₹ 5 lakh.

Mass conversions will attract seven years imprisonment and a fine of ₹ 5 lakh. According to the bill, repeat offenders can get 10 years imprisonment and a fine of ₹ 5 lakh.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis told the assembly: “The proposed anti-conversion law in Maharashtra is not directed against any religion and is only aimed at preventing religious conversions carried out through force, fraud or inducement.”

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

“This bill does not curtail the right of a person to follow a religion guaranteed under Article 25 of the Constitution. The right to religion does not include the right to convert another person by coercion, misrepresentation, fraud or deception,” Mr. Fadnavis said, referring to the Supreme Court’s orders. he said.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Fadnavis told reporters that many women are lured into relationships, married off and later abandoned, and maintained that the anti-fake conversion bill aims to address these issues and curb such practices.

“Opposition parties are politicizing the issue to gain votes, but once they read the bill carefully, they will have no objections,” he added.

Speaking in the assembly, Mr. Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, stated that complaints can be made by the affected person or close relatives, and in some cases, the police can also take action.

Seeking support for the passage of the bill, the Prime Minister said the bill aims to protect citizens from illegal conversions and help maintain law and order.

It is particularly noteworthy that the opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) has increased its support for 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 particular religion despite rumors or misconceptions. The aim is to curb unethical practices and misuse of religion that harm individuals or communities,” Mr. Jadhav said. said Mr. Jadhav, adding that reports about the bill targeting a particular religion were false.

Stating that the bill is equally valid for all religions and that its purpose is to prevent pressure or encouragement in converting religion, the official said, Dr. He referred to BR Ambedkar’s conversion in 1956, voluntarily and without coercion.

He emphasized that every religion has some harmful practices that restrict human rights, and that the bill aims to legally regulate such practices.

The majority of opposition MPs demanded that the bill be sent to the legislature’s joint select committee for discussion.

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

Responding to the debate in Parliament, Mr. Bhoyar said the bill aims to ensure that religious conversions take place voluntarily and transparently.

Some members said they objected to the provision requiring a person wishing to convert to another religion to give 60 days’ notice to the district magistrate, saying it was unfair and contrary to constitutional guarantees.

“The purpose of this provision is to verify that the conversion takes place solely by free will and not through fraud, force or inducement,” Mr. Bhoyar said, adding that the procedure is aimed at providing transparency and protection rather than restricting personal freedom.

The Minister also expressed concern about the obligation to notify authorities within 21 days of conversion; Otherwise, the conversion could be considered invalid.

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

Responding to criticism that relatives or others may lodge complaints about forced conversion, Mr. Bhoyar said that 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 provide protection in cases where fraud, coercion or threats are suspected,” he said.

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

The Minister added that special care will be taken during implementation to ensure protection of women’s rights and that the law aims to protect women, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minors from forced or fraudulent conversions.

Mr. Bhoyar further said that if a marriage takes place on the basis of illegal conversion and a child is born, according to the provisions in the bill, the child will be deemed to have followed the original religion of his mother before conversion.

BJP’s Atul Bhatkalkar warned against attempts to change the demography of Maharashtra through religious conversion and said such efforts will not succeed.

After the debate, chairman Sanjay Kelkar announced that the bill was accepted.

Nitin Raut and other Opposition MPs had expressed concern over possible “cautiousness”.

Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh said that the object and substance of the bill affects the Constitution and the right to privacy.

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

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

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