08/10/2019 India (International Christian Concern) – On 28 July, individuals believed to be radical Hindu nationalists disrupted a private prayer meeting and beat the pastor in northern India. The pastor was then reported to local police for allegedly converting individuals to Christianity.
Pastor Raju Prassad is the leader of a small fellowship group in Kanshiram Colony, Uttar Pradesh. Being a pastor in India, he expected opposition from radical Hindu nationalists. However, he was very surprised and fear-stricken when members of Bajrang Dal barged into his private prayer meeting on July 28.
According to Pastor Prassad, he was only praying for the people in his fellowship when the nationalists attacked.
The attacked started when the nationalist identified and harassed a few women and two men who were on their way to the prayer meeting on July 28. The nationalists physically and verbally abused these individuals.
When they arrived at the house the attacked continued. The nationalists dragged Pastor Prassad out of the house where they beat him altogether.
When the police arrived on the scene, they arrested Pastor Prassad and sent him to the police station. Upon arriving at the police station in Chakeri, the nationalists continued to beat Pastor Prassad.
Pastor Prassad and his fellowship members spent five hours in the police station before they were allowed to leave. After a police investigation, they discovered that no conversions were taken place in the meeting.
No measures were taken to punish the nationalists for their brutality.
