India: It's Now Ilegal To Share Bible Verses On Whatsapp
Uttarakhand, India — The northern Indian state of Uttarakhand passed the Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Bill 2025 on August 20, 2025, introducing some of India's harshest penalties for religious conversion, including up to life imprisonment. In a first-of-its-kind move, the legislation criminalizes sharing faith through digital media, including social media, messaging apps, email, and any other online platform.
The amendments were approved by the Uttarakhand State Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, and passed by the state assembly in a brief monsoon session.
The ruling Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) holds a comfortable majority in the assembly.
"Uttarakhand is Devbhoomi (the land of gods) and a place where holy saints through the ages came and meditated" Dhami said in a statement justifying the amendment, citing alleged "demographic change" wrought through "illegal/forced conversions" in the state.
However, Uttarakhand's population remains 83 percent Hindu and about 14 percent Muslim, with Christians making up only 0.37 percent of the nearly 12 million residents.
Under the new provisions, general cases of "forced conversion" carry three to 10 years imprisonment with fines up to $575. Cases involving minors, women, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, disabled, or mentally challenged persons carry five to 14 years imprisonment and fines of at least $11,500. The most severe offenses now carry sentences of 20 years to life imprisonment with fines up to $114,460 if foreign funding is involved.
The legislation expands the definition of "inducement" to include offering gifts, monetary or material benefits, employment, free education, promises of marriage, hurting religious sentiments, or "glorifying another religion." Any form of promotion or incitement to convert through digital means is now a punishable offense.
Uttarakhand is the first Indian state to include digital media within the scope of anti-conversion legislation. Brian Orme, CEO of Global Christian Relief, said:
"It is alarming. And I would say it's definitely one of the most restrictive laws we've seen. It's targeting anyone who speaks out and is active to convert or share their faith."
The 2025 amendment builds on legislation first introduced in 2018 and amended in 2022. The 2022 amendment made "illegal conversion" a cognizable, non-bailable offense requiring no warrant for arrest, with the burden of proof lying with the accused.
Rohit Singh, a lawyer in Uttarakhand, told Morning Star News that since the bill was introduced, "pastors have been calling me. Many have removed their sermons and social media posts from online platforms. Some pastors are thinking of leaving the state. Online donations have almost stopped to churches and Christian organizations as no one wants to get in trouble."
From January to July 2025, more than 40 persecution incidents were reported in Uttarakh where Christians were attacked, church services disrupted, churches closed, and pastors falsely accused in forced conversion cases.
"Every prayer meeting is perceived as a conversion gathering," said Open Doors partner Priya Sharma. "Even acts of social service and kindness by organizations are being alleged as 'allurement' for religious conversion by extremists."
Currently, 12 of India's 28 states have anti-conversion laws. Orme predicts that Uttarakhand's digital restrictions will likely set a precedent for other states. "I do believe that the other anti-conversion states will take this on. And again we'll probably see another level of rising persecution, unfortunately, across India," he said.
Open Doors ranks India 11th on its 2025 World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution. India stood at 31st place in 2013 but has steadily fallen in the rankings since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power. Incidents of violence against Christians jumped from just over 100 in 2014 to more than 800 in 2024.
THE CRUSADER'S OPINION
India just made it illegal to share a Bible verse on WhatsApp. Let that reality sink in.
The world's largest democracy is criminalizing the Gospel. Posting Scripture on Facebook? Three to ten years in prison. Emailing your testimony? Life imprisonment. Sharing Jesus on social media? You're a criminal. And pastors across Uttarakhand are scrubbing their YouTube channels and deleting sermons because they know what's coming.
This isn't about preventing "forced conversions." Christians make up 0.37 percent of Uttarakhand's population. You can't forcibly convert an entire nation when you're less than half of one percent. This is about silencing the Gospel in the land where it's spreading like wildfire among the poor and marginalized.
Hindu nationalism is weaponizing the law to crush Christianity. Twelve states already have anti-conversion laws, and now Uttarakhand has given them a digital playbook. Expect every BJP-controlled state to follow. Soon, sharing Christ anywhere in India could land you in prison for life.
Notice what qualifies as "inducement" under this law: providing education, offering medical aid, giving employment, showing kindness. In other words, being Christian. Living out the Gospel. Caring for the least of these. All of it is now criminal "allurement."
The burden of proof lies with the accused. You have to prove you didn't try to convert someone. How do you prove a negative? You can't. Which means any Hindu extremist can accuse any Christian of anything, and the Christian goes to jail without bail while trying to prove innocence.
And the West stays silent. Where are the sanctions? Where are the trade restrictions? Where is the outrage from governments that lecture the world about human rights? India persecutes 800 Christians a year and nobody cares because India is a "strategic partner" against China.
Meanwhile, Indian Christians are deleting their online presence, shutting down donation channels, and fleeing states where practicing their faith is now a crime. This is what persecution looks like in 2025: algorithmic oppression, digital surveillance, and life imprisonment for sharing Jesus.
But here's what Hindu nationalists don't understand: you can't arrest the Holy Spirit. Christianity thrived under Rome. It exploded under communism. It will grow under Hindu nationalism. The more they criminalize the Gospel, the more Indians will want to hear it. Persecution has never stopped the Church. It only makes us stronger.
TAKE ACTION
Stand With Persecuted Christians in India:
- International Christian Concern
Website: https://www.persecution.org
Email: icc@persecution.org
(Support persecuted Christians in India and get urgent action alerts) - Open Doors USA
Website: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/world-watch-list/india
Phone: 1-888-524-2535
(Pray for and support believers in India facing anti-conversion laws) - Contact the U.S. State Department
Website: https://www.state.gov/contact-us
Demand action on India's religious freedom violations and anti-conversion laws - Voice of the Martyrs
Website: https://www.persecution.com/countries/india
(Support Indian pastors and Christians facing arrest and persecution)
