A mob in India beat to death two Muslims who were accused of trying to steal cows for slaughter, police say, the latest incident in a surge of violence blamed on hard-line Hindu groups. Samantha Vadas reports.

A brutal attack in India’s northeastern state of Assam.

A mob of 20 people beating two young Muslims to death with sticks after they were accused of plotting to steal cows for slaughter.

It’s the latest incident in a wave of violence being pinned on the country’s hard-line Hindus.

The religious group regard cows as sacred and many are demanding a ban on butchering them.

Those calls growing even louder over the past 3 years since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came into power.

Most Indian states have banned the slaughtering of cows, though the trade still operates unofficially in northern Uttar Pradesh where hard-line Hindu leader Yogi Adit-yanat has been leading a crackdown, which last month saw 45 thousand small meat shops shutdown in less than 24 hours – in some cases, through the use of violence.