MUMBAI, March 6 -- The state cabinet has approved the controversial Freedom of Religion Bill to crack down on religious conversion through marriage, or what certain right-wing organisations call "love jihad", though the law recognises no such terminology. The bill was approved on Thursday, paving the way for its passage into law during the ongoing budget session of the state legislature. If passed, Maharashtra will become one of the few Indian states to enact a law granting the government power over its citizens' right to love and choose a spouse. The law, which goes by different names in other states, aims to stop "love jihad", a controversial term used by Hindu nationalists, who believe that Muslim men are luring Hindu women to convert them to Islam through marriage. The Freedom of Religion Bill makes such an interfaith marriage a cognisable, non-bailable offence if the couple's families object to the marriage as it implies "conversion by force and allurement". A cognisable offence carries a minimum prison sentence of seven years, whereas states such as Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh have mandated a sentence of 10 years under their "love jihad" laws. Under the proposed law, the interfaith couple must get the marriage cleared by the district collector as well as their respective families. The Hindu woman must also give 60 days' notice before converting to Islam. In addition, the couple must confirm that there is no objection from their respective families, said an official with the state home department. Thereafter, the conversion must be registered within 25 days. Failure to do so would render the marriage null and void, said the official. If family members complain in response to the notice, police will register a case and investigate. According to the proposed law, any person who induces, deceives or coerces another person into converting from one religion to another will face imprisonment of up to seven years and a fine of Rs.1 lakh if found guilty. Those found guilty of converting minors, persons with mental disabilities, women or individuals belonging to Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes, as well as those involved in mass conversions, will face up to seven years' imprisonment and a fine of Rs.5 lakh. Repeat offenders may face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of Rs.10 lakh. The law also provides that any marriage conducted with the intention of illegal religious conversion may be declared void by a court. If a child is born after a marriage following conversion, the child will be considered to follow the mother's religion. The district collector will have the power to annul conversions carried out through improper means. The bill gets its "Freedom of Religion" label from politicians who claim it protects Hindu women from conversion to Islam. After the cabinet cleared the bill on Thursday, state fisheries minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane announced its approval at Vidhan Bhavan and said a notification would soon be issued. "Nobody will dare convert our Hindu girls forcefully or by allurement," he said, calling it a promise made during the 2024 assembly polls. Rane added that the bill is modelled on laws in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh and framed within the constitutional framework. The issue of "love jihad" was earlier raised by the ruling Mahayuti alliance during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign, with Devendra Fadnavis alleging forced conversions in several constituencies....