Christians and Muslims Face More Persecution by Hindu Extremists in India’

averaged one attack per day last year, a rising number that has led a coalition of US Congress members

Violent attacks on religious minorities in India averaged one attack per day last year, a rising number that has led a coalition of US Congress members to plead with India’s leaders to condemn the violence.

According to the Catholic Secular Forum, attacks rose more than 20 percent from 2014 to 2015. There have been 36 attacks on Christians so far this year, ranging from churches being destroyed to priests, nuns, and parishioners being beaten, according to the Christian human rights group International Christian Concern (ICC), as well as four murders of Muslim men by Hindu mobs over their consumption of beef.

The extremists have been ignored, if not outright condoned, by the country’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and ruling party, the Indian People’s Party, which both came to power amid the rising nationalist tide.