MADHYA PRADESH, INDIA (ANS) -- A pastor, his wife and young children, were brutally attacked by a group of Hindu radicals in Rampuria, a village in Madhya Pradesh state, India, on Sunday, June 14.

According to news released by the Global Council of Indian Christians on their website (www.persecution.in), the incident took place at around 11.00 am last Sunday when about 40-50 activists from Rashtriya Swayam Sevak (RSS) and Bajrang Dal (a right-wing Hindu fundamentalist organization in India), barged into the Beersheba Church where a prayer meeting was taking place and asked for the Pastor, Kuldeep Daniel (26).

When the Pastor told them that he was that person, the radicals immediately started beating him. The website also reported that the radicals also caught the pastor’s brother Vikas (23), who works for World Vision International, and beat him too.

According to the news source, the radicals then proceeded to the parsonage kitchen and opened the refrigerator and devoured the food and soft drinks. They then slapped and kicked the pastor’s wife, Manisha (24). They then abused her with vulgar language and accused of indulging in “conversion” activities.

The website reported that the radicals also slapped the pastor’s small children, Adan (2½) and Anugraha (1).

The attackers went on to destroy the church’s musical instruments, and also a CD player and snatched the mobile phones from the pastor and his brother Vikas.

They then got into the pastor’s study and took away many of his books, but when they saw the police arriving they ran away.

The website reported that during the brutal attack, the radicals were chanting the slogan, “Jai Sri Ram” (Hail Lord Ram) and were holding their saffron flags high.

According to the news source, Pastor Kuldeep Daniel and wife Manisha have suffered internal injuries during the attack.

Pastor Kuldeep has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against the attackers at the local police station.

James Varghese is a reporter for Masihat newspaper in India, and is also a freelance journalist working for ANS.