Ajay Chandrakar alleged that “changai sabhas” (faith healing meetings) are being organized in Chhattisgarh to “lure innocent, helpless and poor people with various kinds of temptations to mislead and convert them.”
Chhattisgarh: Chhattisgarh Home Minister Vijay Sharma has announced that the state government will soon introduce a stricter law to prevent “illegal conversions.”
His statement came in response to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Ajay Chandrakar’s claims in the ongoing Assembly session.
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Ajay Chandrakar alleged that “changai sabhas” (faith healing meetings) are being organized in Chhattisgarh to “lure innocent, helpless and poor people with various kinds of temptations to mislead and convert them.”
He said that such activities should be strictly regulated to stop religious conversions in the state.
Currently, the Chhattisgarh Freedom of Religion Act, 1968, penalizes forced conversions. However, the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai is pushing for a tougher anti-conversion law. A bill for this new law has reportedly been in development since last year but has not yet been presented in the Assembly.
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Former minister Chandrakar also raised concerns about Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that receive funds from abroad. He alleged that some NGOs, which are registered for social causes like health and education, are using these funds for religious conversions.
“There are many such NGOs in the state, which are registered on religious basis and are also getting funds from abroad. Nine out of 19 registered institutions in Bastar district and 15 out of 18 institutions in Jashpur district are being run by Christian missionaries,” Chandrakar said in a notice to the Assembly.
He also claimed that these NGOs fail to submit their financial audits and indirectly criticized Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai by pointing out that most of these organizations are operating in Jashpur, which is the CM’s home district.
According to Chandrakar, “most cases of conversion are also from this district.”
Home Minister Vijay Sharma denied that religious conversions were increasing due to insufficient regulation. He stated that whenever complaints of conversion through faith healing meetings are received, police conduct investigations and take legal action.
“On receiving complaints of conversion by luring people under the guise of healing meetings in the state, police conduct proper investigation and take prompt legal action. Regarding conversion, legal action has been taken by registering criminal cases by registering zero cases in the year 2019, 01 in the year 2020, 07 in the year 2021, 03 in the year 2022, zero in the year 2023, 12 in the year 2024, 04 in the year 2025,”
Sharma informed the Assembly.
Later, speaking to the media, Sharma reaffirmed the government’s commitment to controlling religious conversions.
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He said, “Measures are now being implemented to counteract illegal conversions. We are on the verge of introducing a strict law to prevent such conversions from occurring. If we receive any grievances regarding improper audits of these NGOs, we will promptly take action.”
What is Anti-Conversion Law in India
Anti-conversion laws aim to prevent religious conversions through force, fraud, or coercion. While Article 25 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to practice, profess, and propagate religion, several states have enacted “Freedom of Religion” laws to regulate conversions.
There is no national law restricting religious conversions, though attempts to introduce such legislation in Parliament since 1954 have failed. In 2015, the Union Law Ministry stated that Parliament lacks the authority to legislate on the matter. State-level laws typically mandate prior government approval for conversions, with stricter provisions in some states.
The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutionality of these laws as long as they do not infringe upon an individual’s right to freedom of religion. However, their implementation has sparked debates, with critics arguing that they suppress minority faiths and violate religious freedom, while supporters claim they protect social and cultural harmony.
