by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - As the harassment and persecution of Christians in India by Hindu nationalists continues to intensify, a pastor in Delhi was violently attacked last month by a mob accusing him of forcing Hindus to convert to Christianity, International Christian Concern (ICC) reports.
Persecution against Christians has increased dramatically since the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party came to power in 2014.
On Friday, February 25, the pastor (whose name is withheld for security reasons) was ambushed by a mob of radical Hindus who accused him of forcing conversions. The attackers began to assault the pastor, and forced him to say “Glory to Lord Rama,” ICC reports.
“[The Hindus] started beating me up and took my phone, my bag which had my Bible, the papers of my bike and other important papers. They were taking photos and videos of the entire thing,” the pastor said in a statement.
The attackers then took the pastor away with them and continued to assault him, ICC said.
“[The mob] took me to the Fatehpur Beri Chowk crossroad, where they tied both my hands to the divider of the road and started inciting people by saying I had come to do forceful religious conversions. They were hitting my head constantly, and also attacking my chest and stomach. They hit me so much on the head that I was bleeding from my nose and mouth.”
The pastor was able to free himself after the mob left him, and has filed a report with the police, ICC reports. However, the pastor has doubts the matter will be taken any further as bystanders who witnessed the incident refused to give necessary statements to the police.
India ranks 10 on the US Open Doors Watch List 2022 of top 50 countries where Christians are persecuted.