Mumbai: 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 ₹5 lakh. Repeat offenders can get a jail sentence of 10 years and a fine of ₹5 lakh, as per the Bill.
“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 assembly.
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.
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 politicising the issue for vote-bank gains, but once they read the bill carefully, 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.
vis during the State Assembly Budget session, at Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai. File. | Photo Credit: PTI
The Maharashtra Assembly on Monday (March 16, 2026) 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 ₹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 ₹5 lakh.
Mass conversions will have a jail term of seven years and a fine of ₹5 lakh. Repeat offenders can get a jail sentence of 10 years and a fine of ₹5 lakh, as per the Bill.
“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 assembly.
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,” Mr. Fadnavis said and cited rulings of the Supreme Court.
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 politicising the issue for vote-bank gains, but once they read the bill carefully, 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,” Mr. Jadhav said, adding that reports of the bill targeting a particular religion are incorrect.
The bill applies to all religions equally, and it intends to prevent coercion or inducement in religious conversion, he added, citing Dr B.R. Ambedkar’s conversion in 1956 as voluntary and without coercion.
