by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Chief International Correspondent
NEW DELHI (Worthy News) – Christians in India voiced concern after lawmakers in the northern state of Bihar suggested introducing an anti-conversion law similar to legislation adopted in several other states.
Several lawmakers urged the state government to adopt such legislation, already enacted in states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Gujarat.
The issue surfaced during a debate in the state legislative assembly when Speaker Prem Kumar addressed a “Calling Attention Motion” submitted by 18 legislators from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), according to Christian rights watchdog International Christian Concern (ICC).
The NDA includes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led nationally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
LAWMAKERS CALL FOR LEGISLATION
Legislators argued that demographic changes in parts of Bihar justified the introduction of an anti-conversion law.
One lawmaker, Mithilesh Tiwari, claimed that more than 1,000 Dalit families in Buxar district had converted to Christianity.
Other politicians also alleged that Christian growth in the region was linked to “inducements,” a claim frequently raised by supporters of anti-conversion laws.
Christian advocates warn that such legislation could be used to target pastors and believers.
GOVERNMENT REVIEW POSSIBLE
Bihar Tourism and Arts and Culture Minister Arun Shankar Prasad clarified that the state government currently has no formal proposal to introduce an anti-conversion law.
However, Speaker Kumar indicated that authorities may review similar legislation adopted elsewhere in India.
“If required, the same law will be implemented in this state as well,” he told lawmakers during the assembly debate.
Another legislator, Alok Mehta, strongly opposed the proposal, arguing that the issue was being unnecessarily raised after the government had already clarified that no such law was planned.
BROADER CONCERNS FOR CHRISTIANS
The debate comes amid broader concerns about the situation of minority Christians in India, where advocacy groups report rising pressure and violence against believers in several regions.
India has an estimated 28–30 million Christians, representing about 2.3 percent of the population, many belonging to historically marginalized communities.
Advocacy group Open Doors ranks India 11th on its World Watch List of countries where Christians face the most severe persecution.
Christian leaders warn that anti-conversion laws, officially intended to prevent forced religious conversions, are often used to detain pastors, disrupt church gatherings, and intimidate believers.
PRESSURE MAY INCREASE
If Bihar adopts such legislation, it would become the 13th Indian state to enact an anti-conversion law.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar previously said there was “no need for any anti-conversion law” in the state, noting that communities of different religions had historically lived there peacefully.
However, Christian advocates caution that renewed debate over anti-conversion legislation could increase pressure on believers in Bihar and other parts of India where pastors and converts have already faced arrests, intimidation, and violence.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar urged the nation’s president to resign immediately in an unprecedented inaugural speech in parliament Saturday, while an estimated 200,000 supporters watched proceedings outside on giant screens in central Budapest.
A series of unusually large market bets on falling oil prices — totaling an estimated $7 billion — is drawing growing scrutiny after the trades repeatedly occurred minutes before major Iran-related policy announcements by President Donald Trump, according to a Reuters analysis and market experts.
The Israeli military announced Sunday that it carried out a sweeping series of operations against the Iranian-backed terror organization Hezbollah in Southern Lebanon, striking more than 40 terror infrastructure sites and killing over 100 terrorists over the weekend.
More than 200 children were rescued and more than 350 child sex offenders arrested in one month in the latest Department of Justice targeted enforcement operation to find child sex abuse victims and arrest child sex predators.
A clandestine Israeli military outpost deep inside Iraq’s western desert reportedly played a critical role in Israel’s recent five-week air campaign against Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal exclusive citing U.S. officials and other sources familiar with the operation.
Presidents of Christian colleges and seminaries are raising concerns over a provision tucked inside President Donald Trump’s sweeping domestic policy package, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” warning it could severely impact students preparing for ministry and religious vocations.
Satellite imagery appears to show a massive oil slick spreading off the coast of Iran’s strategically vital Kharg Island, raising fresh concerns over environmental damage and growing instability in the Persian Gulf amid ongoing regional tensions.