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A day after the Maharashtra government introduced the draft of the Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026, in the Maharashtra assembly with a provision of imprisonment, Maharashtra Minister Shambhuraj Desai welcomed the Bill and cited the speech of Shiv Sena-UBT MLA Bhaskar Jadhav.
Desai told reporters, "Yesterday, Shiv Sena-UBT MLA Bhaskar Jadhav gave a speech in the assembly regarding this (Maharashtra Conversion Bill 2026) bill, and we support it. We welcome it... UBT has taken the initiative to support good work; we welcome this too." Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has extended his party's support to the recently passed bill in the Maharashtra legislative assembly - Dharma Swatantrya Adhiniyam 2026 or the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, which aims to curb unlawful religious conversions in the state. Addressing reporters here on Monday, Thackeray emphasized that while freedom of religion is a constitutional right, his party stands firmly against the use of force, exploitation, or fraudulent luring to change a person's faith. "I saw the bill that came forward regarding conversion... If someone uses threats to force conversion, action should be taken against them...We support the bill." While introducing the draft bill in the legislative assembly, Maharashtra Minister of State (MoS) for Home Pankaj Bhoyar said, "In recent years, there have been instances of forced religious conversions from one faith to another. These incidents disrupt public order and damage social harmony. I introduce Legislative Assembly Bill No. 20 of 2026, the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026." Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified that this bill does not prohibit a person from converting, but prevents conversions done through force and fraud." Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill 2026 is not to stop someone from conversion, but it's to prevent people from conversion due to deceit, force, fraud, etc. Any conversion done through these means will be held null and void by the court on the basis of this law," he said in the Assembly. The Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Bill aims to prevent religious conversions carried out through force, fraud, coercion, allurement, or marriage and to stop religious conversions obtained by misrepresentation, undue influence, or inducement.
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