Chhattisgarh’s BJP government has approved the draft of a new anti-religious conversion law, titled the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Bill, 2026. The proposed law seeks to curb conversions carried out through force, inducement, fraud, undue influence, or misrepresentation. The Cabinet approval clears the way for the Bill to be introduced in the State Assembly, which is currently in session.
Draft Law and Key Purpose
The proposed legislation is intended to strengthen the State’s legal framework on religious conversion. It aims to address complaints of coercive or deceptive conversion practices. The government has linked the Bill to the need for stricter regulation of such activities.
Existing Legal Framework
At present, such cases are dealt with under the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968. The new Bill is expected to update or replace the earlier law with stricter provisions. It reflects a broader trend in some States to revisit anti-conversion rules.
Focus on Faith Healing Meetings
State leaders have earlier indicated that the new law may also address ‘changai sabhas’, or faith healing meetings. These gatherings have often been linked in public debate to allegations of conversion through inducement or religious persuasion. The proposed law is therefore likely to cover both direct and indirect methods of conversion.
Political and Social Context
Allegations of forced or induced conversions have repeatedly surfaced in Chhattisgarh. The issue has also led to tensions between right-wing groups and Christian preachers in several parts of the State. The recent national attention on the arrest of two nuns in a separate case further intensified the debate on conversion-related allegations and legal safeguards.
Last Modified: April 29, 2026