A new report suggests that the rise of violent attacks against Christians in India over the past six years is a direct result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist agenda, The Telegraph reported Sunday.

The Telegraph said the new data shows a record number of violent attacks against Christians in India and that religious minorities have felt the pressure of the prime minister's agenda since he first came to power in 2014.

During the first quarter of 2019, hate crimes and violent attacks against Christians in India increased by 57 percent from the previous year, according to a report released by the Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI).

The persecution affected people like Pastor Jai Singh, 53, who was beaten by a mob of approximately 200 people after they stormed a house church in Bitchpuri and beat him and his 15-year-old-son before dragging them to the village square.

"They hit me with their fists and then took me into the temple and beat me with sticks, before stretching my legs back as far as they would go," Singh told The Telegraph.

Both of his feet were broken and he suffered permanent nerve damage in his legs.