Maharashtra anti-conversion law comes into force after President Murmu’s assent mid-day.com
03, Aug 2026
Maharashtra’s anti-conversion law has come into force after receiving President Droupadi Murmu’s assent and being notified in the official gazette. The Act criminalises religious conversions through force, fraud, coercion, inducement or marriage-related deception and prescribes imprisonment of up to 10 years.
Maharashtra’s anti-conversion law has come into force after receiving President Droupadi Murmu’s assent and being published in the official gazette, paving the way for action against religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement or marriage.
As reported by PTI, the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, passed by both Houses of the state legislature during the budget session in March, received Presidential assent and was notified in the state gazette on July 30.
Under the new law, a person intending to embrace another faith must inform the district magistrate at least 60 days in advance. The prescribed post-conversion procedures must also be followed.
Forceful religious conversions will now be a punishable offence
The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, makes religious conversions carried out through force, coercion, fraud, undue influence, allurement, misrepresentation, or marriage-related deception a punishable offence, as per PTI.
As per the act, a first-time offender can face imprisonment of up to seven years, whereas the punishment can extend to 10 years for repeat offences. The law also allows the victim’s parents, siblings and other close relatives to lodge a complaint.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, while expressing his views on the same, had earlier said that the objective of the law was to curb forced or fraudulent religious conversions. The state government has maintained that the legislation is not aimed at voluntary religious conversions or interfaith marriages.
With the new law, Maharashtra joins at least a dozen states, including Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Himachal Pradesh, in enacting anti-conversion legislation.
Civil society voiced concern over impact of anti-conversion law at Mumbai Press Club
Earlier in March, more than 30 rights groups held a joint press conference on Wednesday, March 11, afternoon at the Mumbai Press Club, Azad Maidan in SoBo over the Maharashtra Cabinet’s decision to approve the draft ‘Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam, 2026’, an anti-conversion law reportedly designed to regulate religious conversion and interfaith relationships.
First speaker activist Teesta Setalvad spoke about the secrecy and opacity of this proposed law. “The autonomy of women is at stake. Maharashtra will also see an uptick in vigilante activism, which will weaponise this law,” she explained. Chayanika Shah, working in the queer space, made a strong case about this law being used to attack women’s freedom, broadening its ambit to “the law will be devastating for the personal autonomy of young people too.” The Bombay Catholic Sabha’s (BCS) Dolphy D’Souza said that this legislation, including conversion through allurement or inducement, “will lead to criminalising all charity works.”
(With inputs from PTI)
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