A group of people allegedly vandalised a church and assaulted priests and devotees during its inauguration in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district, leaving several people injured, police said.
The incident took place on Saturday at Narayantala, in the Basanti police station area, where Bishop Subrata Chakraborty, several priests and members of the congregation had gathered for the inauguration ceremony.
Women Allegedly Asked to Remove Traditional Bangles
A police officer told the Press Trust of India (PTI) on Sunday that a complaint had been received alleging that around 30 to 35 people entered the church premises and assaulted those present.
“Women were also allegedly attacked and asked to remove their traditional ‘shakha’ (white bangles) before being forced out of the premises,” the officer said.
According to the complaint, the attackers vandalised a cross inside the church, assaulted priests and devotees, and smashed the mobile phones of people attempting to record the incident.
Members of the congregation also alleged that the group threatened to stop religious activities at the premises. Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
Christian Organisation Condemns Attack
The Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), a Christian organisation, condemned the alleged attack and described it as an attempt to intimidate the minority community.
Herod Mullick, the organisation’s founder state secretary and working president, said priests were assaulted in the presence of the bishop during what was supposed to be a church inauguration ceremony.
“This is an unprecedented incident where miscreants have beaten up multiple priests during an inauguration ceremony with the bishop present,” Mullick said.
He alleged that organised groups were targeting religious minorities and taking the law into their own hands.
“Having faced no meaningful deterrence from the administration or the government, these attackers have grown reckless enough to torture priests of an established church without hesitation,” he said.
Earlier Complaints From Christian Families
The incident comes weeks after three Christian families in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district approached the police, alleging that a group of people had threatened and assaulted them to force them to give up their faith.
The families, who had converted to Christianity around 18 months earlier, also alleged that they were pressured to participate in religious rituals against their wishes.
Police have not announced any arrests in connection with the church attack. The investigation is ongoing.
