CNA Staff, Jul 31, 2020 / 05:15 am
Hate crimes against Christians in India increased by 40% in the first half of 2020 despite a three-month nationwide lockdown, according to a new report.
In a report published July 29, the ecumenical group Persecution Relief said it had documented 293 incidents between January and June, including six cases of murder and five of rape.
"Compared to last year's number of 208 incidents, this year has seen a disconcerting rise of 40.87% in spite of the complete nationwide lockdown which was imposed for almost three months," the report said.
The authors highlighted persecution in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, where 63 reported hate crimes took place. Describing Uttar Pradesh as "the most hostile state against Christians in India," it accused local authorities of assisting extremists.