Mumbai, March 17 : The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill-2026 was passed after a heated debate on late Monday night in the state Legislative Assembly. The ruling Mahayuti government strongly defended the necessity of the Bill to curb the unlawful and forced conversion, while cracks surfaced within the Maha Vikas Aghadi government after the Shiv Sena(UBT) extended its support, but other allies, including Congress, NCP(SP) and Samajwadi Party, opposed the bill.

The Bill will now be referred to the Legislative Council for passage. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that the Bill â??is not directed against any specific religion. Instead, he emphasised that it is being introduced solely to prevent religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, or allurement.

The Chief Minister explained the government's stance while addressing the Legislative Assembly. The Bill, titled the 'Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026', was tabled in the House on Friday by the Minister of State for Home (Rural), Dr Pankaj Bhoyar, to curb conversions happening via baiting, deception, or force.

CM Fadnavis noted that anti-conversion laws are already in effect in several states, including Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Karnataka, and Rajasthan. Following this trend, Maharashtra has decided to implement a similar law.

He stated that Article 25 of the Indian Constitution grants every citizen the right to freedom of religion -- the right to profess, practice, and propagate one's faith. However, converting someone through fraud, pressure, force, or temptation is inherently wrong, making this law necessary to curb such incidents. â??Individuals wishing to convert voluntarily must follow a legal process. The person must inform authorised officials about the conversion. Competent authorities will verify that the conversion is indeed voluntary before granting approval,â?? he said.

Supporting the Bill, Bhaskar Jadhav of the Shiv Sena(UBT) said it aims to protect the right to religious freedom and prevent illegal religious conversions. It is comprehensive and does not target any specific religion, despite rumours or misconceptions. The objective is to curb unethical practices and misuse of religion that harm individuals or communities.

Jadhav said there are false claims in the media suggesting that the Bill targets a particular religion; this is incorrect. The bill applies to all religions equally, and its intent is to prevent coercion or inducement in religious conversion.

During the debate, the NCP(SP) MLA Jitendra Awhad sparked a major controversy in the Legislative Assembly while speaking on the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill-2026. During his speech, Awhad cited various historical instances. However, an uproar erupted in the House when he made a specific reference regarding the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Speaker Rahul Narwekar directed Awhad to express regret, after which the MLA tendered an apology to the House.

/IANS