The introduction of the Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 by the government led by Bharatiya Janata Party marks the culmination of a political campaign that began nearly six decades ago. Leaders associated with the party and its ideological predecessor have been pushing for such legislation in the state since 1967.
Over the years, several attempts were made through private legislative proposals, but none succeeded as previous governments declined to support them.
Long Use of Private Members’ Bills
In most cases, legislators supporting the proposal relied on the Private Members’ Bill mechanism, which allows lawmakers who are not part of the government to introduce legislation.
However, such bills rarely become law because governments typically oppose measures that do not align with their official policy. After brief debates, the government often requests the member to withdraw the bill. If the legislator refuses, the proposal is put to a vote and usually defeated because of the ruling party’s majority.
This pattern played out repeatedly in Maharashtra over the decades.
First Attempt in 1967
The earliest attempt was made on March 21, 1967 by V. R. Pandit, a member of the Legislative Council representing the Bharatiya Jana Sangh, the political predecessor of the BJP.
Pandit introduced a Private Member’s Bill titled “A Bill to Provide for Compulsory Registration of Religious Conversions in the State of Maharashtra.”
While he clarified that he was not opposing religious conversions, he argued that anyone intending to convert should inform a Registrar of Conversions so that the process would be officially recorded.
The proposal faced resistance from the government of the time. Then Law and Judiciary Minister Sheshrao Wankhede urged Pandit to withdraw the bill, stating the issue had national implications. He argued that individuals seeking conversion could simply travel to another state, making such legislation difficult to enforce locally.
Sudhir Mungantiwar’s Repeated Attempts
Years later, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar revived the effort by introducing similar bills three times — in April 2005, July 2008 and July 2012.
Mungantiwar argued that a law was necessary to prevent religious conversions through inducement, coercion or deception. At the time, Maharashtra was governed by the Congress–NCP alliance.
In 2012, his proposal also received support from independent MLA Vivek Pandit.
However, the bills were repeatedly withdrawn after appeals from the government.
Government Opposition in the 2000s
During the debates in 2005 and 2008, then Home Minister R. R. Patil urged Mungantiwar to withdraw the proposals, saying there were no documented cases of forced conversions in the state.
In 2012, Minister of State for Home Satej Patil again appealed for withdrawal, promising that the issue would be discussed in an all-party meeting.
Atul Bhatkhalkar’s 2015 Proposal
Another attempt came in July 2015 when BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar introduced a similar bill even though the state government was then led by Devendra Fadnavis.
Bhatkhalkar alleged that conversions were taking place through coercion. However, his own party colleague Ashish Shelar publicly disagreed, stating he did not believe such incidents were occurring.
Amid political commotion, the proposal was eventually withdrawn.
Shiv Sena’s 2004 Resolution
Earlier, in 2004, the Shiv Sena had moved a resolution in the Legislative Council seeking a ban on religious conversions. The proposal was introduced by party leader Neelam Gorhe.
R. R. Patil opposed the resolution, arguing that existing provisions such as Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code already allowed authorities to act against acts that could hurt religious sentiments.
The resolution was later withdrawn.
With the new Maharashtra Freedom of Religion Act, 2026 now introduced by the BJP government, the decades-long legislative push for such a law in the state appears to have finally reached its most significant milestone.
