The controversy over religious conversion in Punjab did not begin today. Over the past several years, Sikh and Hindu organisations, religious leaders, political groups and Christian organisations have been engaged in an increasingly heated debate. Allegations of coercion, inducement and questionable missionary practices have been made, while Christian representatives have rejected several of these allegations. Some individual cases have reached the police and courts.
2022 — The Issue Explodes Into Public Debate
In August 2022, the then Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpreet Singh expressed serious concern over alleged forced conversions in Punjab and called for an anti-conversion law. He alleged that missionaries backed by foreign funding were targeting poor Sikhs and Hindus. (The Indian Express)In September 2022, Punjab Police arrested two people, including a pastor, following allegations that a Sikh man was being forced to convert to Christianity. A criminal case was registered in connection with the complaint. At the same time, the ministry of pastor Ankur Yoseph Narula at Khambran in Jalandhar became a major focus of allegations by Sikh and Hindu groups. Narula rejected the allegations and maintained that people were not being forced or paid to convert.
2023 — Allegations Expand Beyond Conversion
In 2023, the controversy increasingly included allegations involving so-called miracle cures, financial inducements and promises of overseas opportunities.In one case, a pastor in the Kalka area was booked after a family alleged that ₹40 lakh had been taken on the promise of sending their son abroad. The case was reported as a fraud complaint and should not automatically be treated as proof of an organised conversion network.The broader debate, however, continued to grow as disputes involving Christian prayer meetings and allegations of conversion increasingly produced tensions between religious groups.
2024 — The Issue Enters Politics and the Courts
During the 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign, political leaders’ contacts with prominent pastors brought the subject into the political arena. Media reports also highlighted allegations of conversion against some pastors and the political outreach towards sections of the Christian community.In July 2024, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed Punjab Police to examine whether an alleged conversion racket was operating under the guise of a marriage in a case involving an interfaith couple. Importantly, the court ordered an inquiry; it did not establish that a statewide conversion racket existed.
That distinction matters.
2025 — Demand for an Anti-Conversion Law Intensifies
In November 2025, the Punjab Bachao Andolan demanded an anti-conversion law, alleging large-scale illegal conversions by self-styled pastors and godmen. The organisation also made claims about the number of pastors operating in Punjab and alleged a dramatic increase in the Christian population. Those figures were claims made by the organisation and should not be treated as independently verified government statistics. (The Indian Express)In June 2025, religious leaders also publicly raised concerns about alleged illegal conversions and called for government action.The controversies surrounding self-styled pastor Bajinder Singh added another dimension to the debate, particularly concerning criminal allegations, accountability and the operations of large religious organisations. Reports in 2025 covered convictions and separate investigations involving him.
Referances: The Tribune The Times of India Hindustan TimesThe Indian Express
Disclaimer: This article and accompanying images are for informational and illustrative purposes only. Some visuals may be AI-generated or digitally enhanced and may not depict actual events or persons.Views expressed are based on publicly available information and analysis