12 Indian States Want to Outlaw Christian Conversion. The Supreme Court Just Agreed to Hear the Case.

India's Supreme Court to Review Anti Conversion Laws That Christians Say Target Religious Minorities

India's Supreme Court has agreed to conduct a landmark constitutional review of anti conversion laws currently enforced across 12 states, after Christian organizations mounted legal challenges against legislation they describe as systematically weaponized against religious minorities.

On February 2, 2026, Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices on a petition filed by the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), which represents 14 million Christians through 32 member churches. The matter has been referred to a three judge bench, with central and state governments given four weeks to file counter affidavits.

The laws under challenge span 12 states: Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, and Rajasthan. Rajasthan's law, enacted in October 2025, has been described as the most draconian.

The Acts which are in challenge, they are structured in such a manner that it incentivizes certain vigilante groups to take action, because there are rewards out there.

Senior Counsel Meenakshi Arora, representing the NCCI, made this statement before the court.

John Dayal, spokesperson for the All India Catholic Union, stated plainly:

These laws were never about preventing coercion or fraud, which are anyway crimes in national law. From the very first law to the most recent one, they are rooted in malice and an intent to entrap the church and criminalize evangelization.

The petitioners argue the laws violate Articles 14, 21, and 25 of India's Constitution through discriminatory enforcement, vague definitions, and a reverse burden of proof that overturns the presumption of innocence.

Rev. Vijayesh Lal, general secretary of the Evangelical Fellowship of India, warned:

What we are witnessing today is a widening encroachment on the freedom of conscience that our constitution guarantees.

Open Doors ranked India 12th on its 2026 World Watch List for Christian persecution, a dramatic decline from 31st place in 2013. Christians make up just 2.3% of India's 1.4 billion population.

Supreme Court Constitutional Review Could Reshape Religious Freedom for Millions of Indian Christians

In 2025, record anti Christian violence was documented across the country. During the Christmas season, churches in Chhattisgarh faced vandalism, events were disrupted in Madhya Pradesh, and carol singers were intimidated in Delhi and Kerala. In August 2025, approximately 70 suspected Bajrang Dal members ambushed two priests, a catechist, and two nuns in Odisha's Jaleswar area.

The legal battle traces back to the 1977 Supreme Court ruling in Rev. Stainislaus v. State of Madhya Pradesh, which upheld state authority to restrict conversions by force, fraud, or allurement but stopped short of affirming a right to convert others. However, the 2018 Shafin Jahan ruling declared that choices of faith and belief lie within an area where individual autonomy is supreme.

The Crusader's Opinion

Let us be absolutely clear about what is happening in India. Twelve states have passed laws that do not protect anyone from coercion. They exist to criminalize the spread of the Gospel. When a Hindu converts to Christianity, the state demands an explanation. When a Christian is beaten by a mob of 70 people, the state looks the other way. This is not religious neutrality. This is state sanctioned persecution wearing the mask of law. The fact that India has plummeted from 31st to 12th on the persecution index in just over a decade tells you everything. We thank God that these brave Christian bodies are taking this fight to the highest court. The world must watch, and the Church must pray.

Take Action

• Pray daily for Indian Christians and the Supreme Court justices reviewing these anti conversion laws. Ask your church to include India in weekly intercessions.
• Support persecuted believers through The Shepherd's Shield, which provides direct aid to Christians facing persecution worldwide.
• Give to Open Doors at opendoorsusa.org, which has documented India's rising persecution and supports underground churches across the subcontinent.
• Contact Voice of the Martyrs at persecution.com to receive their prayer newsletter and learn how to write letters of encouragement to imprisoned Indian pastors.
• Write to your elected representatives and urge them to raise India's persecution of Christians in bilateral diplomatic conversations. Religious freedom must be a condition of trade and partnership.