(ETH) – Christian families in the southern Indian state of Karnataka have been banned from gathering for worship services by police based on the presumption that they had been coercively or fraudulently converted to Christianity as they are not Christian by birth.
According to the report from the Christian Post, The deputy superintendent of police of Karnataka’s Hassan District and his colleagues reportedly summoned the families in the Bannimardatti village and asked them to provide proof that they were Christian, and accused them of availing benefits provided by the government as both Christians and Hindus.
The report also stated that the police officer then forbid the Christians to not gather for worship services in their village. “This is the final attempt of Hindu radicals using the state police to clamp down on Christian activities,” a local Christian was quoted as saying. “They have tried everything including social boycotts and physical beatings.
However, local Christians remained faithful in the midst of continued harassment.” This specific region is governed by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which also governs at the federal level.
The CP reported that persecution targeting Indian Christians have risen steeply since 2014 when Narendra Modi of this party came to power and is also is ranked No. 10 on Christian support organization Open Doors’ 2020 World Watch List of the countries where it’s most difficult to be a Christian.
