northern state of Uttaranchal after dozens of Hindu militants attacked two Christian workers of an evangelical church.
US-based International Christian Concern (ICC) which investigates persecution of Christians, said about 50 Hindu militants attacked Salvin and Simon from the Full Gospel Pentecost church, on September 24 when they were worshipping with 20 other Christians in their rented house in the Kasipur area.
The activists of the Hindu group Bajrang Dal, the youth wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad or World Hindu Council, attacked the victims because they accussed them of "hurting religious sentiments," said ICC, which has close contacts with Indian Christians.
The victims and local Christians have denied the allegation. After beating the two, the mob forcibly took them to the local police station and accused them of speaking against the Hindu religion, the Rev. Madhu Chandra, a leader of the All India Christian Council (AICC), told ICC.
INJURED CHRISTIANS
"The police first took the injured Christians to a hospital for first aid and then charged them under Section 298 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for hurting religious sentiments." Christian supporters later filed a complaint against Hindu militants, but they were threatened with "dire consequences" if they did not withdrew the complaint, ICC reported.
There are only 27,116 Christians in Uttaranchal, where the total population is more than 8.4 million, according to ICC estimates.
News of the latest attacks came amid reports that elsewhere in India, in the in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh attacked at least four Christians in the last three weeks. The violence apparently included a beating of three Dalits, seen as the ‘lowest caste’ in India’s ancient system of Hinduism, and a threat to have their government benefits withdrawn.
On September 29 a group of Hindu militants reportedly stormed a church in Aluru area in Nizamabad’s district’s Armor block and mistreated pastor Kavalla Shadrak late in the evening.
OTHER MOB
On September 22, a mob of about 40 people were seen surrounding three Dalit Christians of the Good Shepherd Community Church in Nandiwaddeman village while three people, allegedly members of the Hindu group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), beat them.
When the church pastor went to the village head to report the attack, he refused to listen to him and allegedly held a meeting with elders to accuse him of forcibly converting the villagers.
At the same time, RSS extremists threatened to kill the Christians if they continued their activities, news reports said. Human rights groups say there is growing violence against Christians across India, especially in rural areas and against believers belonging to the Dalit or other groups. (With reports from India).
