Press Note on the Anti-Conversion Bill

The Archdiocese of Bombay has taken note, with deep concern, of the assent given by the President of India to the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026. With this development, Maharashtra becomes the thirteenth state in India to enact a stringent anti-conversion law, joining a growing list of States where such legislation has, in practice, been used more often to intimidate religious minorities than to address genuine instances of wrongdoing.

The Catholic Church has always unequivocally condemned conversion through force, fraud, coercion or inducement. No person of faith or goodwill can support such practices.  Our concern, therefore, is not with the stated objective of preventing forced or fraudulent conversion, but with the manner in which laws of this nature have repeatedly been drafted, interpreted and enforced across the country. Experience in other States raises serious concerns that such legislation can place a disproportionate burden on Christian communities, inter-faith couples and others exercising the constitutionally protected freedom to profess, practise and propagate their faith under Article 25 of the Constitution of India.

Areas of Concern 

● Vague and overbroad terminology:

Expressions such as 'allurement,' 'undue influence' and 'misrepresentation' are not precisely defined. In the experience of communities in other States, such terms have been stretched to cover ordinary religious, educational, charitable and healthcare work carried out by churches, seminaries and mission institutions.

● Provision for complaints by third parties: The provision allowing a blood relative of a person who has changed faith to lodge a First Information Report, without the consent or involvement of the person in question, raises concerns about an adult’s right to make an independent decision of conscience. It also creates the possibility of misuse by families opposed to an inter-faith marriage or to a person’s decision to change one’s religion.

● Suo moto police powers: Empowering police officers to take cognisance on their own initiative, ahead of any complaint from an affected person, creates scope for undue scrutiny or surveillance of prayer meetings, schools, hospitals and social-service centres run by minority institutions.

● Reversal of the burden of proof and non-bailable offences: Provisions of this nature, as seen in other States, can place the accused at a severe disadvantage from the outset and may also result in prolonged incarceration even in cases where allegations are later found to be without basis.

● Chilling effect on genuine faith and marriage choices: The declaration and verification procedures risk deterring free, adult, and consensual decisions to change one’s faith, as well as inter-faith marriages that are protected by the Constitution. Such procedures may expose individuals and couples to social pressure, public scrutiny and harassment, particularly during any prescribed notice period.

Impact on Minority Communities 

For the Christian community, this law comes at a time when there had been a documented rise in incidents of intimidation directed at churches and institutions in India engaged in education, healthcare and social work, particularly among the poor. There is a genuine concern that ordinary acts of charity and pastoral service could be misconstrued as inducement, placing religious congregations and Christian institutions in the position of having to defend their work before the police and courts, rather than being able to focus on serving the communities they were established to uplift.

For minority communities, such legislation has, in other States, become entangled with narratives surrounding inter-faith marriage, often invoked to harass couples and families rather than to address any genuine coercion. We are conscious that the same pattern could readily be repeated in Maharashtra, placing an additional burden of suspicion on citizens who have committed no wrong.

More broadly, religious minorities face the risk of a law intended to prevent coercion could instead be weaponised as an instrument of harassment, social boycott and vigilante action. In such circumstances, an accused person may be presumed guilty in the court of public opinion long before any judicial finding has been made.

Seeking Redressal

The Archdiocese of Bombay calls upon the Government of Maharashtra to ensure, at the stage of framing rules and issuing the notification bringing this Act into force, that adequate safeguards, clear definitions and procedural protections are put in place to prevent its misuse against minority communities. We urge affected individuals and institutions to document any instances of harassment or misuse and to approach the National Commission for Minorities and the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission for redress and appropriate intervention.

A Call for Dialogue

The Archdiocese of Bombay remains committed to the well-being of all citizens of Maharashtra and to the constitutional values of liberty, equality and fraternity that this State has long exemplified. We stand ready to engage in dialogue with the State Government to ensure that the legitimate objective of preventing fraudulent or coercive conversion does not come at the cost of the fundamental rights of any community. We appeal to all citizens, regardless of faith, to uphold harmony, mutual respect and the rule of law. We assure our Christian brothers and sisters, as well as all religious minorities, of our continued solidarity, prayers and support.

Issued by the Press Office

Archdiocese of Bombay