Church leaders welcome Supreme Court’s move seeking government response to challenge anti-conversion laws seen as tools of harassment.
Newsroom (04/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) Church leaders and human rights advocates across India have welcomed a Supreme Court directive seeking responses from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s federal government and 12 state administrations to a new public interest litigation challenging the constitutionality of sweeping anti-conversion laws.
The landmark petition, filed by the National Council of Churches in India (NCCI), contends that these laws undermine the fundamental rights guaranteed under India’s Constitution—specifically Articles 21 and 25, which safeguard personal liberty and freedom of religion. The NCCI represents 32 member churches, 17 regional Christian councils, 18 national organizations, and seven affiliated agencies, collectively representing nearly 14 million Christians.
On February 2, a bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi acknowledged the NCCI’s petition and issued notices to the Union government and the states of Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Himachal Pradesh. The court directed all respondents to file a consolidated reply within four weeks and indicated that the case would be heard by a three-judge bench—an acknowledgment of its constitutional gravity.
Christian Bodies Unite Over Religious Freedom
Speaking to UCA News on February 3, Pastor Asir Ebenezer, general secretary of the NCCI, called the order “a critical procedural step” in defending religious freedom. “We welcome the Feb. 2 court order, which has taken note of our comprehensive petition bringing together all anti-conversion laws enacted in 12 states,” Ebenezer said.
He noted that earlier challenges were fragmented, launched individually by different Christian groups such as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India. “Now, our petition addresses all the anti-conversion laws in one consolidated case,” he explained.
Despite opposition from Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the federal government, the Supreme Court went ahead with issuing notices. Ebenezer said that the Church hopes for “justice and relief from intimidation, harassment and arrests by police on false conversion charges.”
Historical Context and Pattern of Misuse
India’s long-standing debate over anti-conversion laws has often centered on their alleged misuse against religious minorities. Tamil Nadu’s short-lived Prohibition of Forcible Conversion of Religion Act (2002) was repealed in 2006 following widespread protests from minority communities—a precedent many Church leaders now cite in urging constitutional review.
John Dayal, spokesperson for the All India Catholic Union and a veteran journalist, told UCA News that delays and procedural maneuvers by state administrations have often slowed justice. “Available data shows that these laws were enacted with malicious intent and were not based on evidence of fraudulent or coercive conversions,” he said.
Dayal pointed to Uttar Pradesh, governed by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as a case study of abuse. “People have been arrested for praying at family ceremonies or in private homes,” he said, claiming that many complaints originate from groups linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP’s ideological parent.
Legal and Constitutional Implications
Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, appearing for the NCCI, urged the Supreme Court to suspend the contested laws’ enforcement, arguing that they fuel “widespread abuse” by empowering vigilante groups and undermining due process. Arora revealed that, in some states, laws reward informal complainants, effectively incentivizing harassment of clergy and congregants.
The Supreme Court directed that the petitions be served on all state advocate generals and that the federal and state governments file a joint counter-affidavit within four weeks. The judges did not specify a date for the next hearing but confirmed that similar pending petitions would be clubbed for comprehensive consideration.
Broader Implications for Religious Minorities
Legal observers view the Supreme Court’s notice as a pivotal moment for religious liberty in India. “It is a significant procedural step in the principal constitutional challenge to anti-conversion laws enacted by multiple states,” said Godfrey Pimenta, lawyer and trustee of the Watchdog Foundation. He warned that Maharashtra is reportedly considering an even more stringent statute, heightening concerns over shrinking civic space for minority communities.
While Solicitor General Mehta told the court that the government’s reply was ready and would be filed soon, rights advocates insist that the broader question is not administrative compliance but constitutional balance—how India reconciles state-level anti-conversion statutes with the nation’s secular ethos and its global image as a democracy that protects pluralism.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from UCA News
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