Seven Christians were arrested in Uttar Pradesh after Hindu nationalist groups interrupted prayer services on 24 August. The groups accused believers of carrying out illegal religious conversions.
According to church leaders, prayer gatherings were disrupted in six locations across four districts: Mau, Ghazipur, Jaunpur and Budaun. Police later charged those detained under the state’s anti-conversion law. All seven were presented in local courts and sent to judicial custody.
Witnesses reported that members of Bajrang Dal, a Hindu nationalist youth organisation, forced prayer meetings to stop and called the police to intervene. They claimed Christians were persuading poor and Dalit communities to convert by offering education, healthcare and other assistance.
Christian leaders have denied these accusations, stating that believers are being falsely targeted. “Even a normal Sunday prayer gathering has become a crime now,” one leader said.
Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, introduced its anti-conversion law in 2021. The legislation carries prison sentences of up to 20 years for those convicted. Since then, police have filed more than 400 cases against Christians.
Pastor Joy Mathew, who supports persecuted believers in the state, said that not one case has yet resulted in proof of conversion. He noted that 59 Christians are currently in jail under similar accusations.
The United Christian Forum, an ecumenical monitoring body, reported that 97 incidents of violence against Christians took place in Uttar Pradesh by the end of July this year, following 209 incidents in 2024.
Christians make up less than 0.5 per cent of Uttar Pradesh’s 200 million residents, while Hindus account for around 80 per cent.
Adapted from UCA News.
