Two Christian pastors were physically assaulted by a Hindutva mob in Chhattisgarh’s Dhamteri district who also burnt the Bible and asked them to convert or they would be killed, Maktoob Media reported.
According to the report, the assailants disrupted a prayer meeting, beat the two pastors, burnt Bibles, and demanded the Christians stop holding worship services in Biler village.
The attack started around 4 p.m. when a Hindu mob led by Rajnikanth Devaghan and Nilambari Sahu disrupted the prayer meeting.
The Hindutva mob had dragged Pastor Sasharath Maanikpuri and Pastor Kesar Manikpuri from the house where the prayer meeting was taking place and have verbally abused them and beat them.
The assailants confiscated Bibles and other Christian texts from the pastors and the congregation and burnt them in the street outside of the building where the prayer meeting was taking place, Maktoob Media reported.
The Hindutva activists told the Christians to convert to Hinduism and threatened them if they continued to hold worship services, they would be killed.
An attacker has told the Christians that they are not allowed to read the Bible or any other holy book related to the Christian faith.
Responding to the incident, International Christian Concern alleged that the attacks on Christians and their place of worship in India have continued to increase both in number and severity.
“In Chhattisgarh, a recent spike in persecution can be attributed to a series of public rallies put on by radical Hindu nationalists where hate speeches against Christians are common. In one speech, a nationalist leader even called for the beheading of Christian evangelists in Chhattisgarh,” the Christian group said.
