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In late September, in Jaipur—a city in northwestern India—a group of Hindu nationalist extremists forced their way into a church and disrupted a worship service. Around 20 believers were gathered with their pastor when the attackers barged in. According to locals who spoke with Open Doors' partners, the extremists accused the pastor of forcibly converting poor people.
"Pray that Christians in Rajasthan will find comfort and strength in Christ during these challenging times."
Shiv Rathod*, Open Doors' partner
When the believers defended their pastor against the false allegations, the extremists physically assaulted them, using abusive language against both the believers and the pastor. Several believers, including women, were injured.
The attackers also damaged church property, including chairs and musical instruments, and threatened the believers with death if they did not renounce their faith.
Police arrived after receiving information about the incident. However, instead of taking action against the extremists, they acted on the group's false statements and arrested the pastor, imprisoning him. Meanwhile, many of the injured believers required hospitalization.
Later, local pastors and Christian leaders approached the police to request the pastor's release and filed a complaint against the extremists. Initially, the police refused to release the pastor due to pressure from the extremists; but after lawyers intervened and presented legal documents, the pastor was released immediately. To date, however, no action has been taken against the extremists involved.
Only three days later, on September 24, another incident happened in Jaipur when extremists protested against the Hindustan Bible Institute. When two officials of the institute arrived for a routine inspection, the extremists accused them of coercive conversion activities.
According to Catholic Connect, police detained the officials following the extremists' complaint, confiscating their phones, institute documents and property papers.
There were also several other incidents reported around the same time.
These incidents are part of an alarming trend in Rajasthan State—of which Jaipur is the capital. New anti-conversion laws have been put into place which have created strict rules and severe penalties. Christians in the state have reported an increase in attacks, including the church that was attacked. These believers live under growing fear and uncertainty, as police face pressure to act against them rather than protect them.
"After the anti-conversion law was introduced in the State Assembly, [Hindu nationalist] extremists have become more active, targeting Christian gatherings and accusing pastors of false conversions," explains Open Doors partner Shiv Rathod*. "The police are under pressure from extremists to register false cases and arrest pastors and believers.
"By August 2025, more than 75 persecution incidents had been reported in the state, with at least five more occurring after the anti-conversion law was passed on September 9. The situation for Christians is unfavorable, with constant fear of attacks and mob violence. Pray that Christians in Rajasthan will find comfort and strength in Christ during these challenging times."
Despite the risks, Open Doors' local partners are reaching out to churches in India with persecution preparedness training and other programs, as well as providing immediate assistance to affected victims, wherever possible.
Please join us in prayer for our brothers and sisters in India:
*Name changed for security reasons
