Mumbai, March 13 -- The Devendra Fadnavis government introduced the 'Maharashtra Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam 2026' or the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026 in the Legislative Assembly, here on Friday with the ostensible objective of banning unlawful religious conversions.
"The objective of the Bill is to protect the right to freedom of religion. It also aims to prohibit unlawful religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement or marriage," Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar, who introduced the bill in the assembly, said.
Unlawful religious conversion has been defined by the Bill as religious conversions induced using force, fraud, misrepresentation, coercion, undue influence, or inducement.
According ...