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Senior Policy Officer of the Christian Persecution charity Open Doors, Dr Matthew Rees revealed that India now ranks in the top 10 of nations where Christians are persecuted for their faith. In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk Dr Rees revealed that the Christians are deemed second class citizens in India and added that the escalation in persecution has been exponential over the last five years. He said: “If we look at the top 10, in 2014 so again five years ago only one country was ranked as extremely persecuting Christians and that was North Korea.

“But today we have eleven countries and that even includes countries like India. “Five years ago the OpenDoors Christian charity would have been extremely surprised where India would become a country like that. “Particularly in certain states like Odisha and Pradesh and places like that. “These are places where there is actual reporting of extreme persecution

Christian Persecution has grown exponentially in India over the last 5 years according to expert

“We can definitely see over the last five years a real escalation.” The Charity worker added that a narrative that Christianity was not part of the Indian identity was beginning to develop with a lot of high profile politicians which then filtered down into society. Dr Rees closed by saying: “The idea of being from India and therefore having to be Hindu or being Hindu and therefore being from India has grown. “We have kind of been left with a situation whereby a lot of people see Christians and people who are not from the Hindu faith as a kind of second class citizen.