A local politician and his associates attacked six Christians in Bamhni, Chhattisgarh state, according to a November 13 report from Compass Direct.
The village council called Purun Patel, a local politician with strong connections to the state's BJP party, and a group of Christians to a meeting at approximately 3:00 p.m. on November 9. Local sources claim that Patel has been harassing Christians villagers for over a year. During this meeting, the council read a letter that the Christians wrote the council appealing for protection from Patel after he and his associates verbally abused them on November 5 while they were assembled for Sunday worship.
After the letter was read, Patel stood up and verbally abused the Christians. He and his associates slapped several Christians and severely beat four of them. They pushed one woman against a wall and kicked another, who is pregnant, in the stomach. The village council merely watched the attacks in silence.
When the Christians fled to the local police station, police would not help them. Police refused to file a complaint until the general secretary of the Chhattisgarah Christian Forum called the police station on November 10 and insisted that the complaint be treated seriously. No arrests have yet been made.
Pray that the Christians in Bahmni will be free to worship without fear of attack. Ask God to grant full healing to those who were injured. Pray that the lives of these Christians will teach their persecutors Christ's love and forgiveness (Romans 12:14, 21). Pray that the unborn child of Sukbati Mandavi, the pregnant woman, was unharmed.
For more information on the persecution of Christians in India, click here.
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