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The Maharashtra government on Friday introduced the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, proposing strict limits on conversions that it says are carried out through coercion, fraud or inducement. The measure, which mirrors laws in other BJP-ruled states, immediately raises questions about enforcement, civil liberties and a fresh round of likely court battles.
The bill sets out detailed procedures and penalties that would affect individuals, institutions and officials involved in conversions. Supporters argue it protects vulnerable people from coercion; critics say it risks policing private faith choices and could chill inter‑faith marriages and community activities.
What the bill would require and penalize
Key elements would change how conversions are carried out and investigated. Among the most consequential provisions are:
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- Advance notice: Anyone planning to change religion — and any organisation arranging a conversion — must notify the designated authority in a prescribed form at least 60 days beforehand.
- Public display and objections: The authority must post the notice at its office and at the local panchayat or municipal office, inviting public objections within 30 days.
- Post-conversion declaration: The person converted and the organiser must file a declaration with the authority within 21 days of the ceremony.
- Criminal penalties: Individuals found guilty of carrying out conversions by marriage through inducement, coercion or deception could face up to seven years in prison and a fine (the bill specifies Rs 1 lakh for such offences).
- Mass conversions and repeat offences: Those involved in organised mass conversions face up to seven years’ imprisonment and a Rs 5 lakh fine; repeat offenders may be sentenced up to 10 years and fined Rs 5 lakh.
- Non-bailable offences and policing duties: Several offences would be treated as non-bailable, and the officer in charge of a police station would be required to register complaints.
- Burden of proof: The bill places the onus on the person who caused, assisted or abetted the conversion to prove it complied with the law.
- Children’s religious status: Any child born from a marriage or relationship deemed to follow an unlawful conversion would be considered to belong to the religion of the mother before the marriage or relationship.
- Definition of inducement: The draft lists possible inducements as gifts, job offers, educational benefits, a better standard of living or promised healing.
Why this matters now
Across several states governed by the same political party, similar statutes have been enacted in recent years. Those laws have already prompted litigation and temporary stays from high courts. The Maharashtra bill joins a pattern that could broaden the legal footprint on religious conversions nationally and intensify clashes in courts and legislatures.
The immediate effects would be practical as well as symbolic: more paperwork for couples and religious groups, a new duty on police to register FIRs based on relatives’ complaints, and potential criminal exposure for organisers of conversion ceremonies. Human-rights organisations warn such measures could be used to scrutinise consensual inter‑faith relationships.
Opposition and legal pushback
Civil society organisations have criticised the proposal for being rushed and for narrowing personal freedoms. A representative of the Bombay Catholic Sabha said the move was rolled out without broad consultation and argued the bill interferes with individuals’ freedom of conscience and choice in marriage. The group has urged lawmakers to refer the draft to a select committee for more scrutiny.
Legal challenges to comparable laws are already pending in multiple high courts. Rights groups have won interim relief in some places, and states have appealed those decisions to the Supreme Court, signalling a prolonged judicial contest if Maharashtra presses ahead.
What to watch next
The bill will be debated in the state assembly; opponents are expected to seek amendments or a committee review. If passed, implementation will hinge on how authorities interpret terms such as “inducement” and “unlawful conversion” — phrasing that has proved contentious elsewhere.
Beyond the legislature, practical questions remain: how authorities will manage the notice-and-objection process, how tribunals or courts will handle disputes over proof, and what effect the law would have on community relationships and civil-society activity on the ground.
For now, the introduction of the bill marks the next phase in a wider national debate over the balance between protecting vulnerable people from exploitation and preserving the private right to change faith or marry across religious lines. Expect legal challenges, political argument and close public scrutiny in the weeks ahead.
