Weeks after Maharashtra’s new anti-conversion law came into force, congregations across the state have begun a striking precaution: recording in writing that worshippers attend services entirely of their own free will.
The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 — also known by its Marathi name, the Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam — took full effect on August 28, making Maharashtra the 13th Indian state to adopt legislation regulating religious conversion. The law bars conversions carried out through force, coercion, fraud, misrepresentation, undue influence, or “allurement,” a term defined broadly enough to cover offers of money, gifts, employment, free education, or the promise of a better lifestyle. Portraying one religion as superior to another can also fall within its scope, and the law separately addresses conversions tied to marriage or a promise of marriage.
How the Law Works
Anyone intending to convert must give the district magistrate 60 days’ prior notice. The person or organization facilitating a conversion must follow a prescribed procedure that includes provisions for objections, a police inquiry, and a post-conversion declaration. Authorities are required to register a conversion within 25 days; if they don’t, it is considered null and void.
Notably, the law allows a blood relative of the person converting to file a complaint alleging the conversion is unlawful — a provision that can trigger an FIR (first information report) and a police investigation even without the convert’s own involvement.
Violations carry serious consequences: those convicted of forced or fraudulent conversion face up to seven years in prison and fines running into thousands of dollars. Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane has said the law would be more stringent than similar statutes in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, describing forced conversion or conversion induced through temptation as a non-bailable offence.
Government’s Position
The bill was passed by the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on March 16 and by the Legislative Council the following day, after the state cabinet approved the draft in early March. It received presidential assent from President Droupadi Murmu on July 31 and was published in the state gazette shortly before.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has repeatedly defended the law, stating it targets only forced and fraudulent conversions and is not intended to interfere with voluntary conversions or interfaith marriages. The government has framed the legislation as a necessary safeguard against coercive religious conversion.
Early Enforcement and Pushback
The law’s real-world impact emerged quickly. Police in Pune registered the first cases under the Act within days of it taking effect. In response, churches in Maharashtra have started documenting that worshippers attend services voluntarily — an effort to insulate congregations from complaints alleging coercion or inducement.
Opposition has been vocal and organized. As of late August, a coalition of roughly 20 civil society organizations, women’s groups, and religious bodies — including groups such as the PUCL, the Forum Against Oppression of Women, and the Bombay Catholic Sabha — has formally opposed the law and is seeking a halt to its implementation, arguing it threatens individuals’ freedom of conscience and choice of religion.
At a press conference in Mumbai on August 24, lawyers, activists, and religious figures — including Tushar Gandhi, advocate Lara Jessani, and advocate Irfan Engineer — raised concerns about the Act’s broad and, critics say, vague language.
Rights groups have also pointed to the political rhetoric surrounding the bill. Nitesh Rane has invoked the “love jihad” narrative in public remarks, framing the law partly around preventing the alleged forced conversion and marriage of Hindu women — language that critics argue reveals a narrower, more targeted intent than the government’s official justification suggests. Organizations such as Citizens for Justice and Peace have documented that similar laws in other states have frequently been used against interfaith couples following complaints from unrelated third parties, rather than genuine victims of coercion.
The Bigger Legal Picture
Maharashtra’s law joins similar statutes in states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and Himachal Pradesh. A constitutional challenge to anti-conversion laws generally has been pending before the Supreme Court since 2020, with petitioners arguing such laws violate personal liberty, freedom of conscience, and the right to choose a partner. During hearings in 2025, lawyers for the petitioners argued the laws have been “weaponised” against interfaith couples and religious minorities.
Whether Maharashtra’s law will be added to — or shaped by the outcome of — that broader legal challenge remains to be seen. For now, the law is in force, enforcement has already begun, and both supporters and critics are watching closely how it plays out on the ground.
