The Maharashtra government has notified August 28 as the date for the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, to come into force. The state Home Department issued the notification on Monday.
With this, Maharashtra joined states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand that have enacted similar laws to regulate religious conversions.
The Devendra Fadnavis government introduced the Bill in the state Assembly earlier this year in March. The legislation prohibits religious conversions carried out through coercion, fraud, inducement, misrepresentation, undue influence or fraudulent means.
