Raipur: The Chhattisgarh assembly on Thursday passed a bill aimed at preventing religious conversions carried out through force, inducement, fraud or misrepresentation, with stringent provisions including life imprisonment in cases of "mass conversion", PTI reported.
The Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Vidheyak 2026 (Freedom of Religion Bill 2026), tabled in the House by Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma, was passed following five hours of discussion amid a boycott by Congress legislators after their demand to refer the bill to a Select Committee for consultation before its introduction was rejected by the chair.
During the discussion on the bill, Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, accused the Congress of indulging in vote bank politics.
Citing alleged religious conversion incidents in Narayanpur and Kanker districts in Bastar, Sharma said the Bill was introduced keeping in view the current scenario, adding the government does not intend to restrict voluntary conversions.
"Any person can choose to convert by their own will. How can we stop that? The issue is whether conversions are taking place through inducement, force, or misrepresentation," he said.
The Bill seeks to replace Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Adhiniyam (Freedom of Religion Act) 1968, adopted from Madhya Pradesh when the state was carved out in 2000.
Referring to the 1968 law, Sharma said it was enacted during the Congress rule (in erstwhile Madhya Pradesh).
"This (new bill) is an extension and strengthening of the same law. Nearly 60 years have passed and circumstances have changed. It is surprising that the opposition is walking out on a law that they themselves enacted," he said while accusing the Congress of ignoring the potential impact of religious conversions on the state's culture.
All offences will be cognisable and non-bailable. The Bill, however, states that reconversion to one's ancestral religion will not be treated as conversion under the law.