Maharashtra CM defends Bill against fraudulent religious conversions, cites exploitation of women

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday (March 16, 2026) said several women have 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, Mr. Fadnavis told reporters at the Mantralaya.

Maharashtra was not the first State to introduce such legislation as several States had already enacted similar laws to curb unlawful religious conversions, he noted.

If enacted, Maharashtra will join States like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand that have enacted similar laws to regulate religious conversions.

Tough legal provisions

The government on Friday (March 13, 2026) introduced in the State Assembly, the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 that has stringent provisions to prohibit religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement or marriage.

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 fine of ₹1 lakh.

Violations in respect of a minor, person of unsound mind or woman or person belonging to the Scheduled Caste and the Scheduled Tribe will be punished with imprisonment of seven years and fine of ₹5 lakh.

“There have been many cases where women were lured, they eloped, and were abandoned after marriage. In such a situation, it raises the question of their child from such a relationship. It complicates their life. The Bill is trying to find out solutions to such problems,” Mr. Fadnavis said.

If the Opposition parties had read the Bill carefully, they would realise that it does not target any community but is aimed at preventing conversions carried out through inducement, coercion or pressure, he said.

“The Opposition is merely trying to politicise the issue for their vote bank politics. I can guarantee you that after careful reading of the Bill, the Opposition will not object to it,” the CM said.

60-day notice

Under the proposed legislation, any person intending to convert from one religion to another, as well as any individual or institution organising a conversion ceremony, must give a notice at least 60 days in advance to the competent authority, defined as the district magistrate or an officer authorised by the State government.

The competent authority will publicly display details of the proposed conversion at its office and at the village panchayat or local authority concerned, inviting objections from the public within 30 days.

The Bill further mandates that the converted person and the individual or institution organising the ceremony submit a declaration to the authority within 21 days after the conversion.

It also allows parents, siblings or relatives related by blood, marriage or adoption of the converted person to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) if they suspect unlawful conversion, and requires the police to register such complaints.