THE Maharashtra Assembly on Monday night passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, which has stringent provisions to prohibit religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement or marriage, by voice vote. As per the Bill, those involved in unlawful conversions on the pretext of marriage will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and shall also be liable for a fine of Rs 1 lakh. Violations in respect of a minor, a person of unsound mind, a woman or a person belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh.

 

Mass conversions will have a jail term of seven years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh. Repeat offenders can get a jail sentence of 10 years and a fine of Rs 5 lakh, as per the Bill. 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. Replying 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.

 

 

THE 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. Fadnavis said he seeks to bring clarity in dealing with cases of illegal conversions that sometimes lead to law and order issues. Defending the Bill, 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 under Article 25 of the Constitution. The right to religion does not include the right to convert another person through coercion, misrepresentation, fraud or allurement,” Fadnavis said and cited rulings of the Supreme Court. Fadnavis said marriages carried out solely for the purpose of unlawful conversion may be declared null and void by a court. The Bill also provides for imprisonment of up to seven years and fines for those found guilty of illegal conversions.