RAIPUR— The Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly witnessed a stormy session on Thursday as Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma officially tabled the Chhattisgarh Dharm Swatantraya Vidheyak, 2026, also known as the Freedom of Religion Bill. This proposed legislation aims to provide a more stringent legal framework to prevent religious conversions carried out through force, fraud, inducement, or misrepresentation. Deputy CM Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, emphasized that the bill expands upon the existing 1968 Act to include modern dimensions of inducement, such as digital and economic allurements. The government maintains that the law is a necessary measure to uphold public order and protect the constitutional freedoms of citizens from coercive tactics that could lead to social discord.
The introduction of the bill met with fierce resistance from the Opposition Congress, leading to a complete boycott of the day’s proceedings. Leader of Opposition Charan Das Mahant argued that the bill was being pushed through with undue haste and suggested it be referred to a ‘Select Committee’ for a more comprehensive review involving legal experts and legislators from both sides. Mahant voiced concerns that the legislation could deepen social divisions, citing the values of tolerance championed by figures like Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He also pointed out that similar laws from eleven other states are currently under scrutiny by the Supreme Court, urging the state to wait for judicial clarity before enacting new measures.
In response to these objections, the treasury benches remained firm, with BJP member Ajay Chandrakar noting that similar laws had been supported by Congress-led governments in the past, specifically in Madhya Pradesh. Deputy CM Sharma clarified that there is no Supreme Court stay preventing states from legislating on public order, a power granted under Article 25 of the Constitution. After the Chair, presided over by Dharamlal Kaushik, rejected the Opposition’s demand for a Select Committee, the Congress staged a walkout. Sharma later characterized the move not as a protest, but as an “escape” from a necessary legislative debate.
This legislative move follows a growing national trend, with Maharashtra recently passing a similar bill and several other states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Karnataka already having such prohibitions in place. The 2026 Bill is a significant update for Chhattisgarh, which had been following the 1968 Madhya Pradesh law since its inception in 2000. With the bill now formally introduced, the government looks toward its passage to fulfill a key cabinet approval from last week, while the political divide over the issue continues to widen in the state capital.
