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Maharashtra Assembly clears anti-conversion bill amid split in opposition
The Maharashtra Assembly has taken a bold step by approving the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, which addresses the critical issue of religious conversions. This legislation penalizes conversions that involve intimidation or deception. The ruling Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena has rallied behind the bill, but it faces pushback from both the Congress and Samajwadi Party.
The Maharashtra Assembly has passed the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026, with the Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena supporting the bill, breaking ranks with the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance. The bill regulates religious conversion in the state. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party have opposed the bill, while the Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLAs have taken a mixed stand on it.
The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 says that any religious conversion made through ‘allurement, coercion, deceit, force, misrepresentation, threat, undue influence or fraudulent means’ would be null and void. It makes any such offence cognizable and non-bailable and prescribes up to 7 years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1 lakh for such unlawful conversion.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while speaking in the Assembly, said that the state government was not against religious conversion but was against ‘illegal conversion’. “This bill is not against any religion; only forcible conversions or those carried out through allurement are what we are saying no to. Numerous states have enacted similar laws… We have done this law as per the Constitution,” said Fadnavis.
Bhaskar Jadhav of the UBT Sena supported the bill, claiming that the electronic media had ‘run stories as if it was targeting a specific religion’. “The bill does not name or target any religion; it's not that this bill helps the Hindu religion. We have no reason to oppose it… We will not oppose it for the sake of opposing it, so I believe that this bill is extremely good,” said Jadhav.
He, however, added that the UBT faction had an issue with one clause of the bill, which put the burden of proof on the person carrying out the religious conversion to prove that it was not done through any allurement or forcible means.
“The onus to prove that one is not doing religious conversion is an issue. Or else one should not become Sonam Wangchuk, who spent six months in jail and was not convicted. The one who makes the allegation of illegal conversion should prove it with evidence,” added Jadhav.
Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh claimed that the government had not applied its mind while bringing in the bill. “The bill states that a notice has to be given before religious conversion. If two adults take a decision to marry, then there would be pressure on them (to call off the marriage). We believe that the bill would be misused against one community. Many would commit suicide; a lot of injustice would be done,” said Shaikh. He demanded that the bill be sent to the Joint Select Committee before being passed.
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Jitendra Awhad of the NCP (SP) said that they were not opposed to the bill but were against the intention behind it.
Rais Shaikh of the Samajwadi Party called the bill regressive and said that the bill was ‘one-sided’. “This bill has caused a lot of unease among the minorities in the state; it should be sent to the Joint Select Committee for suggestions and objections,” said Shaikh.
While the UBT Sena broke ranks with the MVA to support the bill, at least one MLA from the NCP (SP) also broke ranks and supported it. Abhijit Patil, NCP (SP) MLA from Madha, also supported the bill.
The bill will now be discussed in the Legislative Council.
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Source: EconomicTimes
Related Posts: Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026,religious conversion law,Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray Sena,Maha Vikas Aghadi,Devendra Fadnavis,non-bailable offences,Bhaskar Jadhav
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