On 16 March the Maharashtra State Legislative Assembly passed the Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 (Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam) to become the 13th state in India to adopt stringent legislation regulating religious conversions. The bill now awaits the assent of the governor to come into force.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government which introduced the bill has described it as a necessary safeguard against forced or fraudulent conversions. Critics, including Christian organisations, opposition parties and civil society groups, warn that its vague or broad provisions could infringe on constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion or belief, privacy, and personal choice, particularly for religious minorities and interfaith couples.
Like existing anti-conversion laws in other states, the bill prohibits conversions through force, coercion, fraud, misrepresentation, threat, undue influence or 'allurement' (broadly defined to include offers of money, gifts, employment, free education or marriage prospects). In addition, the legislation criminalises 'brainwashing through the medium of education' and any portrayal of one religion as superior or inferior to induce conversion. It requires individuals intending to convert to provide 60 days prior notice to the district magistrate, followed by mandatory notification within 21 days after the conversion takes place, with non-compliance potentially invalidating the conversion.
Penalties are severe, with up to seven years’ imprisonment and a ₹1 lakh (approximately £800) fine for conversions linked to marriage, up to seven years and a ₹5 lakh (approximately £3,990) fine when the convert is a minor, woman, person of unsound mind, or member of a Scheduled Caste or Scheduled Tribe, as well as in cases of mass conversions. Repeat offenders face up to 10 years.
While the state's Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has repeatedly stated that the bill does not target any specific community and does not restrict voluntary conversion, opposition leaders and minority groups have claimed it could criminalise legitimate charitable and educational work and that it could encourage vigilantism, polarise society, and disproportionately affect Christians and Muslims. On 11 March, 35 civil society groups in India issued a joint press statement opposing the bill.
In 12 states across India, anti-conversion laws have created legal uncertainty and increased scrutiny of Christians and Muslims relating to private and public matters, such as personal choice of belief, and the administration of institutions, charities, hospitals and education. Higher fines and bail conditions in recent amendments to some laws, in addition to prolonged pre-trial detentions, can lead to an immediate loss of household income and accumulation of debt to cover potential legal fees.
CSW’s Founder President Mervyn Thomas said: ‘The passage of the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 is another grim milestone in a long and growing pattern of state overreach. This is not an isolated policy, but a sinister addition to a coordinated machinery that effectively criminalises personal conscience and undermines India’s diverse social fabric. This legislation does not just regulate conversion; it dismantles the fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of religion or belief, particularly for the most vulnerable members of the society. CSW stands in solidarity with all those who reject the bill that trades constitutional guarantees for social control, and we urge the governor of Maharashtra State not to grant assent to the bill.’
Note to Editors:
- State level anti-conversion laws are currently in place in 12 states in India: Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.