Maharashtra to enact anti-conversion law in Dec, will be stricter than other states: Minister

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will bring a tough law to prevent religious conversions in the winter session of the legislature and its provisions will be more stringent than similar legislations existing in other states, minister Pankaj Bhoyar has said.

Speaking in the legislative council on Monday, the minister of state for home (rural) noted Maharashtra will be the 11th Indian state to come up with such a law.

"A panel has been formed under the Director General of Police to frame a law (against religious conversions) that will be stricter than the rest of the 10 states. A report (on the issue drafted by DGP) has been submitted and the law will be passed in the coming (winter) session," he told the House.

The winter session of the state legislature is usually held in December in Nagpur, the second capital of Maharashtra.

Raising the issue of forced conversion in the state, Shiv Sena leader and nominated MLC Manisha Kayande alleged a pregnant woman committed suicide in Sangli district of western Maharashtra as she was under pressure (from in-laws) to change her religion.

There was a fight in a Pune-based family over the issue of religious conversion and cross FIRs were filed over the matter, she said.

Kayande pointed out that 10 states -- Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Uttarakhand -- have their own anti-conversion law.

The MLC asked whether Maharashtra's Mahayuti government will bring an anti-conversion law like these 10 states, to which the minister replied in the affirmative.

Last week, Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule also said a strict law to prevent religious conversions will be enacted in the state. Replying to a debate on the issue in the state assembly, Bawankule had said he would speak to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on how to bring an anti-conversion law with stringent provisions.