Threat to Constitutional freedoms: Civil society groups oppose Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026

On 24 August 2026, civil society groups raised concerns over the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026, asserting it posed a significant threat to constitutional freedoms, privacy, and social harmony. The impending Act, set to take effect on 28 August, prompted the Joint Civil Society to issue a statement expressing apprehensions about provisions requiring prior notice, declarations, reporting, and police scrutiny of religious conversions.

These measures, they argued, could subject matters of faith, marriage, and personal choice to intrusive state oversight.

The groups cited recent instances where Pune police had invoked the Act in two First Information Reports (FIRs) before the law's scheduled commencement date. Following this, the police removed the provisions. The Joint Civil Society's main concerns encompassed third-party complaints, the reversal of the burden of proof, cognizable and non-bailable offenses, and the broad definition of "allurement," which could potentially stifle legitimate charitable, educational, and religious activities.

Advocate Irfan Engineer, advocate Lara Jesani, Tushar Gandhi, retired Justice Abhay Thipsay, Father Frazer Mascarenhas, and Sandhya Gokhale among others spoke against the Act. Father Mascarenhas questioned whether educational services and religious healing could be construed as "allurement" under the law, warning that such provisions could impact religious organizations and the communities they serve.

Sandhya Gokhale emphasized that the law undermined the autonomy of consenting adults, particularly women, in their choice of faith and relationships. She posed a hypothetical scenario where the government would decide the religion of a child at birth and questioned the rationale behind this governmental intervention.

The coalition also highlighted the pending Constitutional challenge against similar anti-conversion laws in other states before the Supreme Court, citing analogous concerns about individual autonomy. They warned that the Act could exacerbate communal divisions, stigmatize interfaith relationships, and enable vigilante interference in private lives, particularly in light of 30 incidents of harassment and attacks on Christian organizations in Mumbai over the past eight months.

The Joint Civil Society, comprising civil liberties, women's rights, minority rights, religious, and other civil society organizations, has demanded that the implementation date of 28 August either be withdrawn or remain on hold until the Supreme Court deliberates on similar anti-conversion laws.