India: Five Christians criminally charged under anti-conversion law

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Five Christians in India’s Uttar Pradesh state were arrested and charged last week for allegedly trying to convert Hindus to Christianity in violation of the state’s anti-conversion law, Christian Today reports.

On August 15, Independence Day in India, Uttar Pradesh police accused 37 Christians of inducing poor Dalit people of Rajjupur village to convert to Christianity, CT reports.

Of the five Christians who were eventually arrested, three were pastors; the five were brought before a sub-divisional magistrate the same day and were released on bail.

Local pastor Dinesh Kumar explained in a statement: “The Christian community was holding a prayer service in the Dalit colony of Rajjupur when a police force came and arrested five people. We do not bother anyone in the area, and thus far the locals haven’t objected. Our people are shocked by the sudden police raid. We have nothing against anyone and want to live here peacefully.”

In a website report about the persecution of Christians in India, the Open Doors international advocacy organization said: “Increasing numbers of states are implementing anti-conversion laws, supposedly to stop Hindus being forcibly converted to other religions, but in reality they are often used as an excuse to harass and intimidate Christians who are just doing things like distributing aid or having a private church meeting.”

Ruled by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party since 2014, India ranks 11th on the US Open Doors World Watch List 2023 of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.

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