Fifty Christians were attacked during a Sunday service in Rajasthan, India when a group of approximately 200 individuals stormed a church building in Bikaner City. Several attendees suffered injuries after being struck with iron rods, and the assailants vandalized the property before police arrived.
According to the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, the attack, which occurred near the end of the service on February 16, left three worshippers severely injured while many others sustained bruises. The attackers fled hastily when police arrived.
Following the incident, police interrogated the injured Christians and accused them of forced conversions, while the pastor’s children were warned not to end up like their father.
Local authorities escorted the pastor, his wife, and a few other Christians to the Mukta Prasad police station, where the mob's allegations of forced conversion were examined. Ultimately, the pastor and his companions were not charged, as no evidence of such activities was presented.
This incident occurred shortly after the introduction of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill 2025, an anti-conversion measure proposed in the state’s legislative assembly.
If enacted, the law would require individuals wishing to convert voluntarily to apply to a district magistrate 60 days in advance, with any conversion deemed forced treated as a non-bailable offense, potentially resulting in hefty fines and up to 10 years in prison.
The proposed legislation would also place the burden of proof on those accused of coercing someone to change their faith. As noted by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, twelve of India’s 28 states currently enforce anti-conversion laws.
Rajasthan’s proposed law follows a broader trend, including 2024 amendments in Uttar Pradesh that strengthened penalties under an existing anti-conversion statute. These laws have been enacted mostly in states governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Data from the India-based United Christian Forum reveals a rise in attacks against Christian communities over the past decade, with incidents recorded increasing from 127 in 2014 to 834 in 2024.
