Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 passed to prevent coercive conversions

Key facts

• The Maharashtra Legislative Assembly passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, introduced by the Mahayuti government to curb religious conversions involving coercion, inducement, fraud, or deception.
• The legislation mandates that individuals intending to convert to another religion must provide a formal notice 60 days in advance.
• Under the provisions of the bill, the burden of proof to demonstrate that a religious conversion is lawful rests entirely on the accused.
• Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis stated that the bill provides specific legal provisions currently lacking in the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) regarding unlawful conversions.
• The CM noted that similar laws have already been enacted in 12 other states, including Odisha, Karnataka, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The bill was supported by the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) (Sena (UBT)) but faced opposition from the Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) (NCP (SP)), Samajwadi Party (SP), and Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI (M)).
• Opposition parties demanded that the bill be referred to a joint select committee for public review and suggestions, alleging it violates the right to privacy and Article 25 of the Constitution.
• The motion to pass the bill in the assembly was moved by the Minister of State (MoS), Pankaj Bhoyar.