Policing Worship: Raids, surveillance, and the criminalisation of Christian prayerThroughout 2025, Christian worship—particularly prayer meetings held in private homes—became one of the most visible and repeatedly targeted sites of persecution. In several cases, worship was forcibly stopped mid-prayer, with congregants verbally abused, threatened with violence, or compelled to chant Hindu religious slogans. Instances:Location: Mayapur, Sidhi, Madhya PradeshDate: January 17Bajrang Dal members, led by Rishi Shukla, raided a Christian prayer meeting held at a household. Location: Bargarh, OdishaDate: February 9Members of Bajrang Dal raided a Christian prayer meeting, alleging forced religious conversions and demanding it be stopped. Summary of patternsThe 2025 incidents demonstrate systematic persecution of Christians driven by organized hate ideology.

Source: The Hindu March 17, 2026 05:20 UTC