Civil society organizations in northwest India’s Rajasthan state have protested the rising attacks on Christians just weeks after an anti-conversion law was passed by its government in the legislative assembly.

Following the passage of the Rajasthan Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Bill, 2025 in the state assembly on Sept. 9, the civil society groups documented nine recent incidents of harassment and assault on Christians.

A coalition of 12 civil society organizations met police authorities in Rajasthan’s capital, Jaipur, demanding immediate action against perpetrators of the attacks.

Civil society groups said the attacks on Christians represent a broader pattern of intimidation that began after the new “anti-conversion” bill was passed.

They said that the anti-conversion bill has created a climate of suspicion and intolerance, with vigilante groups falsely framing any religious gathering or activity as an attempt at forced conversion, leading to mob violence and abuse by police.

The 12 civil society organizations that condemned the violence included the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), Jaipur Christian Fellowship, Rajasthan Samagra Sewa Sangh, Association for Protection of Civil Rights, and several interfaith groups representing Buddhist, Muslim, and Dalit communities.

Civil society groups were triggered by the latest brazen attack by the Hindu militant group, the Bajrang Dal, on Sept. 23, against Hindustan Bible Institute (HBI), which trains pastors and Christian church leaders in the capital area.

The HBI, established decades ago, has the required legal paperwork to operate. Yet Hindu extremists surrounded the institute’s premises when they got wind of the arrival of two staff members from outside the city.

The Bajrang Dal alleged that the duo had come to carry out conversions and began protesting. Police from the nearby Pratap Nagar precinct interviewed the two guests, seized their phones, and confiscated and inspected other materials from the HBI.

The civil society delegation demanded the arrest of Bajrang Dal members responsible for the disturbance and strict measures to prevent further attacks on minorities.

“Such communal incidents and attacks on minorities need to stop now,” the joint statement declared.

This article originally appeared at persecution.org and has been reprinted with permission. 

Founded in 1995, International Christian Concern (ICC) is a Christian organization. It’s an ecumenical, non-governmental, and non-partisan group focused on protecting the human rights of Christians and religious minorities.