Fifty Christians were attacked during a Sunday service in Rajasthan state in western India, when a group of about 200 people stormed a church building in Bikaner city. Several attendees sustained injuries after being struck with iron rods, and the assailants vandalized the property before police arrived.
In the attack, which took place near the end of the service, three worshipers were severely injured on Feb. 16, while many others bore bruises across their bodies, reported the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide last week.
The pastor of the church, who asked to remain anonymous due to security reasons, said a new member had attended the service that day and was seen sending messages minutes before the mob entered the church, at which point he ran out of the building.
Get Our Latest News for FREE
Subscribe to get daily/weekly email with the top stories (plus special offers!) from The Christian Post. Be the first to know.
The attackers left hastily when police arrived at the scene. Police questioned the injured Christians afterward and accused them of forced conversions. The pastor’s children were cautioned that they should not turn out like their father.
Local authorities then escorted the pastor, his spouse and a few other Christians to the Mukta Prasad police station, where the mob’s accusations of forced conversion were examined. The pastor and his companions were not charged, as evidence of such activity was not provided.
Members of the church decided not to lodge a complaint, citing fears of reprisals. No action was taken against the group that invaded the worship service.
The attack occurred weeks after the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill 2025, an anti-conversion measure, was presented before the state’s legislative assembly.
If it becomes law, individuals who want to convert voluntarily would be required to submit an application to a district magistrate 60 days in advance. Any conversion determined to be forced would be treated as a non-bailable offense, potentially resulting in a significant fine and up to 10 years in prison.
The proposed legislation would also shift the burden of proof onto those accused of compelling someone to change faith.
Twelve of India’s 28 states enforce anti-conversion laws, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. Rajasthan’s proposed measure follows a trend that includes the 2024 amendments in Uttar Pradesh, where an existing anti-conversion law was modified to impose more stringent penalties.
These laws have been enacted mostly in states governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Last December, over 400 individual Christians and 30 church groups, including several Baptist conventions, councils and associations, sent a letter to President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to Baptist Standard. The letter asked for intervention against violent mobs that have targeted Christians and other religious minorities. The signatories stated that believers in various parts of India have been facing assaults and intimidation.
Data from an India-based group, the United Christian Forum, shows an increase in attacks against Christian communities over the past decade. The group, which manages a helpline, recorded 127 incidents in 2014 and 834 in 2024.
