Churches in India Challenge Anti-Conversion Laws, Citing Constitutional Concerns
India’s Supreme Court is set to review the controversial anti-conversion laws enacted in 12 states, following petitions from Christian organizations alleging they unfairly target religious minorities. The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) argues that these laws have been misused to persecute Christians through false accusations and violence.
On February 2, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued notices to the central government and the 12 states involved. The court has asked for responses within four weeks, indicating the case’s constitutional significance.
The NCCI, which represents approximately 14 million Christians across 32 churches and various regional and national organizations, claims that the anti-conversion laws are designed to encourage vigilante actions by offering incentives for false complaints and arrests. Senior attorney Meenakshi Arora argued, “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.”
The petition specifically challenges the anti-conversion laws in states such as Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka, among others. These laws, according to the NCCI, contravene fundamental human rights and constitutional freedoms by presuming that conversions are coercive or fraudulent.
Legal and Constitutional Debate
The Supreme Court’s decision to review these laws aligns with broader legal challenges that have been building since 2020. The Citizens for Justice and Peace led the initial petitions against the constitutional validity of these laws. The legal battle intensified as states like Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh enacted laws targeting “unlawful conversion” related to marriage and mandated prior declarations for conversion.
In December, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India filed a separate petition against Rajasthan’s 2025 law, which includes harsh penalties and property confiscation without judicial oversight. John Dayal, a spokesperson for the All India Catholic Union, criticized the laws, stating, “These laws were never about preventing coercion or fraud, which are crimes in national law.”
Impact on Religious Freedom
The NCCI contends that the anti-conversion laws infringe upon rights to liberty, privacy, and religious freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution. The petition highlights issues such as vague legal definitions and the reverse burden of proof, which it claims violate the presumption of innocence and disproportionately affect women.
These legal proceedings unfold amid increasing violence against Christians in India, with monitoring groups reporting record levels of anti-Christian incidents in 2025. India ranks 12th on Open Doors’ 2026 World Watch List for severe persecution of Christians.
The core constitutional question revolves around whether these laws have shifted from preventing coercion to imposing undue restrictions on voluntary religious choices. The Supreme Court is expected to address these concerns in upcoming hearings, with significant implications for religious freedom and minority rights in India.
For more information, visit the original article on Christian Daily International.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
