Four Christians were arrested in Uttar Pradesh this month after being accused of violating the state’s controversial anti-conversion law, which rights advocates say is being used to target religious minorities.
According to a local Church official assisting with their legal defense, the four believers were taken into custody on May 12 in Lakhimpur Kheri district. They were accused of attempting to convert tribal residents by offering jobs and financial assistance — a charge the Church strongly denies.
“Our people were simply gathering for prayer, and now they’ve been portrayed as criminals,” said the official, who requested anonymity due to security concerns. “These accusations are false and meant to intimidate.”
The four Christians were taken to Chandan Chawki police station, and a local court remanded them to custody on May 13. As of this writing, efforts to secure their bail are still underway.
This case is the latest in a growing list of arrests under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion (Amendment) Act, 2024 — one of the harshest anti-conversion laws in India. The legislation allows for up to 20 years in prison if someone is found guilty of converting another person through force, fraud, or inducement. Christian leaders argue that vague wording in the law allows even peaceful religious activities to be criminalised.
“Even a simple prayer meeting inside someone’s home is twisted into a case of forced conversion,” the Church official added. “There is no room left for freedom of worship.”
Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state with over 200 million people, has become a hotspot for anti-Christian incidents, say human rights monitors. According to the United Christian Forum (UCF), 50 cases of Christian persecution were recorded in the state from January through April this year alone. Nationwide, UCF documented 245 incidents during that period.
A. C. Michael, a spokesperson for the UCF, said that Christians increasingly feel unsafe in states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“Religious polarization has only worsened since 2014,” Michael said, referring to the year the BJP came to power at the national level. “These anti-conversion laws are being weaponized against minorities.”
At least 11 Indian states, most of them BJP-ruled, have enacted similar anti-conversion legislation in recent years, often citing the need to curb so-called "forced conversions." But Christian groups and legal advocates say the laws are instead fueling targeted harassment.
On May 2, India’s Supreme Court agreed to hear a petition that challenges the constitutionality of the Uttar Pradesh law. Activists hope the court will strike it down and restore legal protections for religious minorities.
Christians make up just 2.3% of India’s population. Despite their tiny numbers, Christians in many regions face growing hostility and pressure. “These arrests are not isolated,” Michael said. “They are part of a broader trend to marginalize minority faiths in India.”
Rewritten version of the original article from UCA News.
