📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Prashant Nadar
Religion
Maharashtra's anti-conversion law set to commence on Aug 28 amid activist concerns
✍️ Mid-Day
🗓 25 Aug 2026, 01:18 PM
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The state's new anti-conversion legislation will become operational on August 28, prompting human‑rights groups to warn of potential misuse.
Maharashtra's anti-conversion legislation, passed by the state assembly earlier this year, is scheduled to come into force on August 28. The law seeks to curb conversions that are alleged to be forced or induced through undue influence, requiring prior permission from authorities before any religious conversion can be formally recorded.
Human‑rights activists and several civil‑society groups have voiced strong reservations about the timing and wording of the statute. They argue that the provisions could be used to target minority communities and restrict the constitutional right to freely practice and propagate one's faith.
The state government, however, maintains that the measure is necessary to prevent exploitative conversion practices and to maintain communal harmony. As the implementation date approaches, both supporters and detractors are preparing legal challenges and public demonstrations.
Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to set up a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance, while activists are urging the judiciary to intervene before the law is enforced.
The debate is expected to intensify in the coming weeks, with the August 28 deadline marking a critical juncture for Maharashtra's religious and legal landscape.
Human‑rights activists and several civil‑society groups have voiced strong reservations about the timing and wording of the statute. They argue that the provisions could be used to target minority communities and restrict the constitutional right to freely practice and propagate one's faith.
The state government, however, maintains that the measure is necessary to prevent exploitative conversion practices and to maintain communal harmony. As the implementation date approaches, both supporters and detractors are preparing legal challenges and public demonstrations.
Law enforcement agencies have been instructed to set up a monitoring mechanism to ensure compliance, while activists are urging the judiciary to intervene before the law is enforced.
The debate is expected to intensify in the coming weeks, with the August 28 deadline marking a critical juncture for Maharashtra's religious and legal landscape.