Legislative Assembly; Anti Conversion Law Set to Become Stricter

Raipur. The Saay government has taken a significant step toward further tightening the law against religious conversions in Chhattisgarh. The State Council of Ministers has approved the draft of the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill, 2026. This bill will now be tabled in the Legislative Assembly.

Assembly Raipur

This crucial decision was taken during a cabinet meeting held in Raipur, presided over by Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Saay. The government states that the objective of the proposed amendment is to effectively curb religious conversions carried out through coercion, greed, inducement or fraudulent means. To this end, the existing law will be further strengthened.

Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao stated that complaints regarding religious conversions facilitated through inducements and the dissemination of false information have been surfacing in various parts of the state. To prevent such instances, stringent provisions are being introduced into the law to ensure that strict action can be taken against the perpetrators.

However, the opposition has raised questions regarding this decision. Congress MLA and former Minister Umesh Patel alleged that the government is failing to provide clear information to the House regarding cases related to religious conversions and is instead creating an atmosphere of confusion surrounding several issues.

Following the Cabinet's approval, the bill will now be presented in the Legislative Assembly. If passed by the House, even stricter provisions for taking action in cases related to religious conversions could come into force in Chhattisgarh. Currently, all eyes are fixed on the upcoming discussion regarding this bill during the ongoing Legislative Assembly session.