A Christian pastor in India has been assaulted by Hindu extremists who accused him of "distributing blood" during communion.
A video - uploaded by the attackers themselves and shared on social media - shows the group entering a small church in Solapur in Maharashtra last month.
The so-called 'cow protectors' confronted the pastor over the communion wine and although he explained that it was grape juice, the group demanded to see a license for distributing it. They then seized the remaining juice and assaulted him.
The persecution watchdog Open Doors said the Hindutva nationalists claimed the pastor gathered 20 to 25 women and gave them “addictive” red wine. He was also falsely accused of using bribes to carry out coercive conversions.
In another false post circulating on social media the church is accused of “forcefully offering red wine to the women believers and intoxicating and defiling them.”
Open Doors local partner Radhika ( name changed for security reasons) said: “Hindu extremists distort and fabricate claims to fit their agenda and incite fear and hostility against Christians.
“Recently, incidents of church disruptions have become increasingly common in Maharashtra.
“There is immense pressure from Hindutva-led state government and Hindutva extremist groups to enforce a new anti-conversion law in the state.”
There are currently 11 states in India which have enacted anti-conversion laws. They are ostensibly put in place to curb religious conversions carried out through inducements or coercion. However critics argue that in reality they give a free hand to Hindutva nationalists to marginalise and fuel violence against minority religions.
Radhika added: “Several Hindutva political leaders are known to be spreading hate speech and accusing the Christian community of coercive conversion.
“The extremists continue to attack the churches and pastors.”
India is number 11 on Open Doors’ World Watch List, an annual ranking system of the 50 countries where Christians face the most extreme persecution.