Police in Rajasthan state, northwest India, have registered a case against two pastors accused of carrying out religious conversions through “allurement”. It is the first case since Rajasthan’s state government passed harsh new anti-conversion laws in September, which have already led to attacks on Christians in the state.
On 20 November police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Pastor Arun John of Beersheba Church in Rajasthan’s Kota city and Pastor Chandy Varghese, founder of Zion Global Worship Centre in New Delhi, for allegedly carrying out religious conversions through “allurement” during a three-day “Spiritual Satsang” retreat at Beersheba Church in Kota from 4-6 November. The FIR also stated that the accused made offensive remarks about Hindus and described the Rajasthan government as the “devil’s kingdom”, based on complaints lodged by officials from from hardline Hindu groups Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP, the World Hindu Council) and its militant youth wing the Bajrang Dal, both of which promote Hindutva ideology. They alleged that the pastors had conducted “forced conversions” during the Satsang.
Police investigated after videos and social media clips emerged of the event, at which several youths reportedly announced from the stage that they had put their faith in Christ and were baptised, allegedly calling on others to adopt Christianity.
The pastors were booked in part under the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act, 2025, and they denied the charges – Pastor Arun John said, “We do no illegal activity. Police are acting on doctored videos on social media purportedly showing alluring speeches, inciting people to convert.”
New laws criticised
Rajasthan’s new anti-conversion laws have been widely criticised for their harsh penalties including life imprisonment, large fines and confiscation and demolition of property for carrying out conversions.
Petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of the Act and the court has issued a notice to the state government. The petitioners contend that the legislation is constitutionally flawed and contradicts the Supreme Court’s judgments, and that the state legislature exceeded its authority in enacting the laws.
Advocacy group Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) said in a report that attacks on Christians have escalated dramatically since the law came into effect, with raids and police warnings against Christian prayer meetings leading to an organised harassment campaign which CJP described as “anti-conversion vigilance”. It said simple acts like prayer meetings, community outreach and interfaith marriages have become triggers for criminal investigation and property seizure, and stated: “In several districts, including Alwar, Dungarpur, and Jaipur, the people abusing Christians worked with police and other authorities, a relationship that demonstrated their collusion.”
Reaction
Commenting on the case against the two pastors, Pentecostal pastor Morison Baby of the Emmanuel Believers Fellowship stated, “We have nothing to hide… The videos of the event are already in the public domain. No illegal activity was carried out at the gathering.”
John Mathew, president of Rajasthan Christian Fellowship and director of Emmanuel Mission Schools, said the three-day prayer and worship gathering was attended by Christians and no conversion took place. “The VHP and Bajarang Dal activists are making the life of our peace-loving community miserable,” he said.
Journalist John Dayal, one of the petitioners against the law, condemned the arrests of the two pastors, saying: “Rajasthan has weaponised the law to legitimise its unconstitutional action.” He said the enforcement of the law had encouraged Hindu mobs who attacked churches in September and that police had detained Christians and raided their properties, rather than their attackers.
(International Christian Concern, The Tablet, UCA News)
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