As feared by many Christians, this announcement emboldened radical Hindu nationalists within Haryana and led to several attacks on Christians, including an incident in which four Christian women were hospitalized.

Many pastors talked to ICC about the difficulties of Christians in the country, one of them said:

“Since BJP came to power in Haryana, I have stopped giving baptisms, It is not that I have lost my passion. I care about the safety of new believers. Hearing of other states where the BJP is ruling and where anti-conversion laws are in place, the consequences of conversion are huge. Sometimes there is even a threat to the lives of new believers.”

Another pastor from Haryana, who was attacked in June, declined to speak with ICC. He claimed that he could not talk about religious persecution because his phone has been tapped, and radical Hindu nationalists closely watch him.

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