Christians and other minorities protest atrocities in India

Christians and other religious minorities held peaceful rallies in various states across India, decrying the rising persecution they face.

Protestors from various minority communities came together in various regions of India on 9 June 2025 to raise their voices against the rising atrocities they face. Christians, Muslims, Jains and others joined peaceful rallies highlighting the increased persecution against minorities and misuse of anti-Christian laws at the state level.

The rallies were led by the Rashtriya Christian Morcha (or RCM, meaning ‘National Christian Front’), with support from the Backward and Minority Communities Employees Federation (BAMCEF). In Bhubaneshwar, Odisha State, RCM organised a major protest where local Christian leaders and believers participated in large numbers. Protestors submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister, detailing numerous instances of violence and discrimination against Christians.

Similar protests were reported in other districts across Odisha, as well as Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and other states. In these regions, Christian leaders also submitted reports to local officials documenting the persecution of Christians.

More than 950 persecution incidents so far this year

“Minorities are constantly targeted, attacked and forcefully reconverted,” said Christian leaders at one of the protests. “Pastors are falsely accused of coercive conversion. Christians are being mistreated by religious extremists who are abusing and misusing religious laws against Christians.”

The protestors called on both state and central governments to take decisive action against those responsible for stirring religious strife and violence.

“From January to May 2025, over 950 instances of persecution against Christians were reported throughout India,” says Priya Sharma*, an Open Doors local partner. “These incidents included attacks, threats to abandon the Christian faith, excommunication, social boycotts, halting prayer services and church closures. Throughout India, around 200 cases have been filed against pastors and believers based on fabricated conversion allegations.”

Abuse of anti-conversion laws

Anti-conversion laws – which have been passed in 12 Indian states – purport to protect people from being forcibly converted, but are frequently abused to falsely charge Christians and other religious minorities. Pressuring somebody to ‘reconvert’ to Hinduism is, conversely, not illegal.

Priya Sharma adds, “Despite Indian Christians’ constitutional right to freedom of religion, persecution continues to rise. This trend reflects a growing climate of religious intolerance in the country.”

India is number 11 on the World Watch List. In the elections last year, Narendra Modi was re-installed as prime minister – but his nationalist party, the BJP, did not win an outright majority. It is hoped that the coalition, including political parties who strongly support religious freedom, will have a positive effect on the levels of persecution of religious minorities, though this has yet to become clear.

Please continue to pray

There has not yet been an official response to the protests from the Indian authorities. The rallies were peaceful, with no violent or disruptive incidents reported during the demonstrations. “We thank God that the protest was peaceful,” says Priya Sharma. “Please continue to pray for the safety of Christians and other minorities in India, and for their right to freely and openly practise their faith.”

*Name changed for security reasons