Elections this week in four of India’s states and one territory have returned the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to dominance. 

Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP leads a coalition of parties called the National Democratic Alliance. With the BJP’s landslide victory in West Bengal State this week, it now leads 18 of India’s 28 states. That’s nearly 80 percent of India’s population, according to a poll analysis by the TV network India Today.

Add to that the fact that the NDA coalition (including the BJP) governs 21 of India’s 28 states, and you have a major political force. 

A man we’ll call Paul serves as a pastoral coach in support of work in India. According to Paul as well as other reports, the BJP’s campaigning in West Bengal was less than honorable. It involved the presence of many soldiers.

“My friend who lives there [said], ‘It looks like there’s a war taking place in West Bengal,’” says Paul. “They went ‘all out’ and did every unethical, immoral way to defeat [the incumbent chief minister]. And they won — a massive victory, 200-plus seats.”

Irregularities included a voter list overhaul that removed some 2.7 million voters. A disproportionate number of those voters were Muslims. That’s according to an analysis from independent research organization SABAR Institute, based in Kolkata.

What’s next for India? 

Several concerning realities may come from the BJP’s expanded reach.

Sonajhuri Haat Bolpur, West Bengal, India (Photo courtesy of Ratul Pal via Unsplash)

The first thing to expect comes from the party’s record, says Paul. “Every state they [the BJP] captured, they immediately brought in this anti-conversion law,” he says. 

Anti-conversion laws can be framed as protections for religious freedom. But in practice, they are anything but. Such laws are currently present in at least 12 of India’s states. 

Then, on a national level, Paul believes the BJP will push to change India from a secular republic to a Hindu republic.

“They were short one state, and now they won West Bengal. So we can expect that a constitutional amendment will be happening very soon,” he says.

If these predictions come true, Christians and Muslims in India have testing times ahead.

“Especially in terms of missions,” says Paul. “We’ll have to relook at how we do missions completely — probably have to go underground. It’s already happening. Many churches are shut down in the states where these [leaders] have passed this anti-conversion law. Many churches have closed down.”

These changes and challenges are no surprise to God. Please pray!

“Pray that the Church will stay strong, united,” says Paul. Pray for wisdom for churches about complying with government regulations. 

“Pray for us [that] as a church and leadership will come together and come up with some more concrete plans and strategies to live out our faith in the midst of this context,” says Paul. 

Header photo: Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing at the joint SCO-CSTO Outreach Summit on Afghanistan, through video conferencing, in New Delhi on September 17, 2021. (Wikimedia Commons)

“[The new law is] framed with the title of a ‘freedom of religion’ law, but it’s actually the exact opposite,” says John Pudaite with Bibles For The World.

Believers have reason for concern. Instead of truly protecting people from being forced to change their faith by fraud or any form of coercion, anti-conversion laws are easily wielded against Christians across India. Christian Solidarity International reported in February that in 2025 alone, more than 400 believers were arrested, with 125 remaining in jail under false charges.

A church in Hyderabad, India. (Photo courtesy of Paul Silvan via Unsplash)

“It really is a case of ‘guilty until proven innocent,’ the way that these laws have been implemented and enforced throughout India,” says Pudaite. 

A simple statement of belief in Christ can become grounds for an accusation. People can claim that the music a church congregation plays might entice others to attend its gathering and perhaps change their faith.

Chhattisgarh’s new anti-conversion law carries stricter fines and prison sentences than its previous 1968 law. People accused of illegally converting others will not be eligible for bail, and a conviction of a mass conversion could even carry a lifetime prison sentence. 

“They define ‘mass conversion’ [as] two or more persons in a single event. Even two people, say a husband and wife from the same family, deciding to follow Christ at a single event, this now becomes a ‘mass conversion,’” says Pudaite. 

Online content is also fair game under the law. “Somebody who just makes a post on their Facebook page that’s pro-Christianity could be charged under this law. It depends how far they want to take it,” says Pudaite. 

Notably, conversion to Hinduism from other religions is exempt.

“That’s where we see the most movement, is people coming out of Hindu backgrounds, Muslim backgrounds, Buddhist backgrounds, and Sikh and [Jainism] into Christianity,” says Pudaite. “They [Hindu leaders] want to stop this flow out of their traditional religions into Christianity.”

The constitutionality of anti-conversion laws under scrutiny

Chhattisgarh’s updated law comes at the same time as a nationwide review by India’s Supreme Court of anti-conversion laws. India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion, which anti-conversion laws seem to limit. That future Supreme Court ruling could bring relief for Christians harassed by false accusations of forcibly converting others, but so far, the legal process has been slow.

Woman in Bengalaru, India (Stock photo courtesy of Marie Couffon de Trevros via Unsplash)

“This case got on the docket back in September of last year. The can keeps being kicked down the road on this, but it is a standing order from the Supreme Court. They’re asking each state to give substantiation for their passing of an anti-conversion law,” says Pudaite. 

Twelve of India’s states currently have anti-conversion laws in place. Pudaite says the challenges have not stopped Christians from their mission to share Christ. 

“This [law in Chhattisgarh] is going to kind of drive things more underground, as it were,” he says. However, “There are pastors and missionaries that are continuing to share their faith boldly.”

Pray for endurance for Christians in Chhattisgarh State who will have to endure the new anti-conversion law. Pray for a fair future ruling by India’s Supreme Court about these kinds of laws. Continue to monitor India closely regarding concerns about freedom of religion. 

India’s Supreme Court (Photo courtesy of Subhashish Panigrahi via Wikimedia Commons – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

The bill is made worse because Maharashtra is the economic center of India and the second-most populous state, says Greg Kelley with Unknown Nations. “Because of its influence, because of its power, that probably is just going to continue now, the cascading domino effect of additional states coming along [with their own such laws].” 

Twelve Indian states already have anti-conversion laws in place. They are meant to protect people from being coerced into converting through force, fraud, or inducement. However, Kelley says the laws disproportionately target Christians.

“I’m sure there are some bad actors,” he concedes. “And this isn’t just Christians, but it’s also dealing with Hindus marrying Muslims, for example, and forcing them to become Muslim. So there are other dynamics. But Christians, being the minority, are persecuted and targeted by not just Hindus but also Muslims.”

Anti-conversion laws require the accused to prove that any conversion(s) in question was not done through force or allurement. In other words, they must prove themselves innocent. 

Kelley says that although the Maharashtra bill has a few more legal hurdles to jump through, it’s basically certain. “Because of the precedent that’s already been set by 12 other states, this is just going to kind of push through the process. It’s not chartering new ground. This is becoming an established pattern.”

One piece of good news is that India’s Supreme Court is in the process of a landmark review of anti-conversion laws and their constitutionality. Their ruling will affect all of India’s states, including Maharashtra and Bihar States, which are both at different stages with anti-conversion legislation.

In the meantime, don’t miss the bigger picture of the Great Commission in India. 

“What most people don’t realize is that within probably the next 25 years, India will simultaneously be the most populated Hindu country and the most populated Muslim country,” says Kelley.

“So it is ‘ground zero’ for what we call unreached people groups. So the church has to have a missional presence in India. [There are] over 1.2 billion people living there, and most of them without a gospel witness. It has got to be a priority.”

Photo from Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, India (Courtesy of Jannes Jacobs via Unsplash)

Pray for wisdom for gospel workers in Maharashtra State, as they will soon have to navigate the effects of the new law. Pray for innocence and also shrewdness as they pursue the call to share Jesus.

Pray for a stronger Christian presence in India. Pray for India as a whole. Learn how you can partner with gospel workers already there, making Jesus known in India alongside Unknown Nations. 

Header photo is a stock image courtesy of Joe Gratz/Flickr. 

In a ruling publicly released February 2, the high court over Utter Pradesh, India’s most populous state, stated that permission is not required for religious prayer gatherings held on private premises. The ruling came after petitions were filed by two Christian organizations, in response to frequent police disruptions of prayer meetings on private property.

“There was an act by a couple of states to try to even illegalize, basically, prayer in the home. They’re trying to attack the house churches and small groups or fellowships that are meeting in homes,” says John Pudaite of Bibles for the World. “It’s a tough situation there for the body of Christ when they can be dragged out of a church or a worship.”

The court ruling was based on the Indian Constitution, which states individuals have the freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion. This decision offers hope to Christians in India in the face of anti-conversion laws, which have been used to unjustly arrest religious leaders and have fueled persecution against Christ.

“We have anti-conversion laws in 12 states. Many have been arrested under those laws,” notes Pudaite. “To date, no one has been convicted under those anti-conversion laws in any of those states, so that’s a victory on one side, knowing that when the body of Christ is practicing, professing their faith, meeting for worship, things like this, they are protected by the Indian constitution, and it’s still being upheld by the by the courts, whether state High Court, Supreme Court. But at the same time, those conversion laws still give them that opportunity to harass the body of Christ, harass believers, harass pastors in that way.”

How to pray for India:

• Pray that the courts in India would continue to show impartiality and hold firm in their reading and interpretation of the Indian Constitution, as they did in this recent ruling.
• Pray for strength and encouragement for believers in India, that they would continue to trust in Jesus as Lord.

“We know how the story ends, but along the way, the enemy is just going to make it difficult for those who follow Jesus to continue to follow Him, and so he’s going to try to do anything he can to discourage us,” says Pudaite, reminding believers, “Christ has paid the price. He is the victor. The story is going to end up with a happy ending.”

Header photo is a representative stock image courtesy of Naveed Ahmed via Unsplash.

In the court order released last month, the Allahabad High Court affirmed that distributing Bibles and preaching religion are not crimes. This isn’t the first time a court in Uttar Pradesh has safeguarded the legal right to share one’s faith — see this 2023 ruling. 

The judges in Allahabad also critiqued the complainant’s charge on several points. They noted that it lacked any victim of alleged forced conversion, although a specific victim is required by law for such charges. To address this and other critiques, the court directed the state counsel to provide several pieces of information in a counter-affidavit.

“It’s been very, on one hand, reassuring that the courts are reading things according to the constitution and in favor of religious freedom,” says John Pudaite with Bibles For the World about this case. “At the same time, we continue to see these anti-conversion laws being used against the Christians, against pastors, against any assembly of worship, even in house churches. It’s a way that they can harass the Christians.”

An Indian woman holds her Bible (Photo, caption, courtesy of IMB)

Harassment can take many forms, but very often what it costs is time. This recent Uttar Pradesh accusation was filed in August 2025, and almost five months later, it is still ongoing. In a similar case, Christians were accused in 2022 of anti-conversion violations and not released from the legal battle until October 2025.

Please pray

Thank God for what appears to be swift justice in this recent case in Uttar Pradesh. Also, India’s Supreme Court is in the midst of reviewing the constitutionality of anti-conversion laws across the nation. Pray for a breakthrough against these laws.

Finally, pray for courage for Christians as they endure further legal challenges.

“Keep lifting up the Body of Christ here, and the pastors, the leadership. They’re the ones who are always facing the brunt of these attacks,” says Pudaite.

“We’ve been seeing some of our partners really step it up in terms of their work, their ministry, and their outreach. I’ve been really encouraged by that. They’re not backing down.”

Header photo of an Indian woman courtesy of IMB. 

“A lot of the time it’s in the rural areas where there are beatings, and there are burning down churches, pastors arrested, sexual assaults, things like that, against the Christians,” says Musselman. “Say ‘that’s not the government doing that,’ but it’s fueling this animosity against Christians.”

Supporters of the anti-conversion laws claim they protection religious freedom by preventing conversion through deceit or coercion. However, in practice, they have been used to unjustly arrest religious leaders and have fueled persecution against Christ.

Twelve of India’s 28 states, most recently Rajasthan, currently enforce anti-conversion laws. After Rajasthan’s legislation was introduced, the state saw a spike in persecution.

“Much of that persecution are these people that have come from these tribal or, the government would say, Hindu religions, and they converted to become followers of Christ—and then there’s that pressure from their families and then also from the community,” says Musselman.

When rural pastors were asked how the anti-conversion laws are affecting them, Musselman says they responded, “We know it’s out there, and there are some aspects of it that are affecting us, but it’s mainly the community and family members that are upset they left Hinduism to embrace Christ.”

He notes that Muslims also face challenges under the anti-conversion laws, “but it’s primarily the Christians because of Jesus’ command to go to all the nations and bring people to Christ, and so that puts Christians at odds with the Hindu culture.”

In spite of all this, Musselman says he continues to see God at work in India and many coming to know Jesus, especially in the rural areas.

Learn more about what’s happening in India and the work Voice of the Martyrs, Canada is doing at vomcanada.com/india.htm.

Header photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs, Canada.

The Rajasthan law was passed in September 2025. It prescribes hefty jail time and fines for converting someone by fraud. But the definition of fraud or force is dangerously open to abuse. Greg Musselman with Voice of the Martyrs Canada explains, “Talking about heaven, ‘That’s an allurement away from Hinduism into Christianity.’ Or talking about hell, ‘Oh, you’re scaring people.’” 

Musselman says when persecution comes, Christians have three biblical options: flight, fortitude, or fight.

(Photo courtesy of Parij Borgohain/Pixabay)

“[Fight is] not in the physical way, but through the courts. And we have that opportunity in countries like India.”

Twelve Indian states have anti-conversion laws in place, which lead to accusations against Christians, Muslims, and other minorities. Even a charity founded by Mother Teresa has received pushback in recent years. 

“They are really supposedly to protect all religions. But that’s just not the way it has happened,” says Musselman. “They’re being used against the Christians to try to stop the spread of Christianity.” 

Voice of the Martyrs Canada partners with Christian lawyers to provide legal aid for believers in India. Connect with them to learn how to pray specifically for real-life situations. 

“Prayer is the most important thing. We have a resource called the Persecution and Prayer Alert, which is available on the Voice of the Martyrs website, vomcanada.com,” says Musselman. “There [are] other organizations within the VOM family, Open Doors, other ministries.”

Header photo: A church in Hyderabad, India. (Photo courtesy of Paul Silvan via Unsplash)

The Supreme Court has issued several petitions for Rajasthan to justify the anti-conversion law’s constitutionality, which allows state officials to seize property and demolish homes based on allegations of forced conversion.

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

John Pudaite, President and CEO of Bibles For The World (BFTW), says it’s part of a broader legal battle as India’s Supreme Court takes a magnifying glass to anti-conversion laws across multiple states.

“They are questioning how this current government — the BJP government — can continue to steamroll across the country and pass these anti-conversion laws, which are nothing but an attack primarily on Christianity,” he says.

This new scrutiny may also cause those who target Indian Christians using anti-conversion laws to think twice.

“As they felt impunity, they would attack the churches and attack the Christians,” says Pudaite. “People are realizing that the laws they thought covered them may not have as much strength…as they had hoped.”

(Photo courtesy of Bibles For The World via Facebook)

Looking ahead, Pudaite urges the global Church to take this critical case, and others like it, before the Lord.

“We need to continue to pray for the Supreme Court and those justices, that they can be impartial in their evaluation of the evidence and of those laws. We can pray that they will not be politically influenced or otherwise influenced.”

Pudaite also encourages believers to keep the Gospel in sight — with hearts to reach their persecutors with the Gospel.

“Especially as we go into this Christmas season, pray that this may be a special time for the Body of Christ to be able to share the Good News of the birth of Jesus Christ…. Pray that the true spirit of Christ in Christmas may be able to shine.”

Header photo: Architecture in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. (Photo courtesy of Dexter Fernandes/Unsplash)

First, the new challenge. Rajasthan’s law, which received the governor’s final assent on October 8, opens the door wide for accusations.

“The Rajasthan law puts in place the possibility of life in prison for encouraging someone to change their religion, and anyone can report it,” says Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs, USA. “You don’t have to have been present for the conversation. You don’t have to have been present in the church service where someone came to faith in Christ. You can file a report even if you know hardly anything.”

(Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

It’s “guilty until proven innocent.” For years, Christians have contended that India’s constitution guarantees freedom of religion and that these types of laws contradict it. But the Hindu nationalist-led government supports anti-conversion laws. That’s why all eyes are on the India Supreme Court for the case currently scheduled for November 4th. 

“They’re not considering the constitutionality of the anti-conversion laws yet, but they are considering putting a stay on the enforcement of the laws while they consider the constitutionality,” says Nettleton. He notes that the court date may be pushed back. 

Please pray! This one Supreme Court decision could remove the permission that anti-conversion laws give for persecution.

Nettleton spoke recently with a human rights attorney in India. “One of the questions I asked is, ‘If they put a stay on it [anti-conversion laws], then when would they decide if it’s constitutional or not?’ I was told that [it] could be months, it could be years, and honestly, they could never issue a ruling,” Nettleton says. 

However, never issuing a ruling could be like a decision against anti-conversion laws. “If they [the Supreme Court] didn’t want to take a controversial stand that these laws are unconstitutional, they could just leave the stay in place and then not ever issue a final ruling about the constitutionality,” Nettleton explains. “So this is a very significant time to pray for Christians in India, to pray for the Justices of the Supreme Court.”

Header photo courtesy of The Voice of the Martyrs USA. 

On September 9, 2025, India’s Rajasthan State passed its latest anti-conversion law. In the weeks since, at least nine documented incidents of attacks or harassment against Christians have happened in the state.

“While this law has actually not been signed by the governor and actually made law, it has certainly emboldened the fanatic Hindu groups there,” says John Pudaite with Bibles For The World.

Anti-conversion laws can easily be used to target Christian and Muslim minorities.  Even something like giving to the poor or playing music at a worship gathering can lead to accusations of forcing someone to convert. Accusations can lead to mob attacks, fines, lengthy imprisonment, and legal battles.

This surge of mistreatment of Christians in Rajasthan isn’t surprising. It’s a reminder to pray for protection for these brothers and sisters, and that attackers will see the light of Christ as believers respond.  The challenges that come from this are serious.

(Stock photo courtesy of Ahmed Fahmi via Unsplash)

“[It forces] them to come up with a lot of money to bail out the pastors and Christians who have been charged, and to have to expend the legal fees to defend their case, and the time and resources that are involved,” Pudaite says. 

The accusations are usually unfounded. “While twelve states have these laws, and there have been hundreds of arrests made under these anti-conversion laws, not a single [case] has stuck in court,” he says. “Even though you have states like Uttarakhand that have now increased the possible punishment to life imprisonment for a forcible or fraudulent conversion, not a single charge has stuck.”

The good news is that a roadblock came up in September against anti-conversion laws. India’s Supreme Court called for nine of the 12 Indian states with such laws to respond to petitions challenging them. The Court says it will consider granting a stay on their enforcement. (More on that here.) 

“That is a very, very important step that the Supreme Court has taken in asking the states to basically show cause [for] why they have passed these laws — really holding to the Indian Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion,” says Pudaite. 

Pray for justice and truth to be upheld by India’s Supreme Court, which will be under pressure from Hindutva voices to defend anti-conversion laws. 

Header photo: Central Wing of the Supreme Court of India where the Chief Justice’s courtroom is situated. (Photo courtesy of Subhashish Panigrahi via Wikimedia Commons – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)