Christian organisations held a large prayer rally in Kolkata on Thursday, November 5, to protest alleged attacks on churches, pastors, prayer meetings and Christian communities across West Bengal. The gathering came a day after a delegation of the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP) met senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary Jishnu Basu to seek intervention against the violence.
The BCP, an interfaith forum representing Christians, said the alleged attacks had continued across several districts over the past five months. The organisation represents more than 1.3 million Catholics and non-Catholics in the state.
The rally was held at Rani Rashmoni Avenue in Kolkata’s Esplanade, with Christian leaders and participants from different parts of West Bengal and other states, including Odisha, Nagaland and Mizoram.
Addressing the gathering, BCP founding state secretary Herod Mullick said Christians in the state were facing an unprecedented crisis, with incidents of threats, vandalism and violence targeting prayer meetings.
Mullick said the official count of such incidents stood at 48, while unofficial figures were higher. He also alleged that police had refused to register complaints in several cases, with only 16 FIRs filed so far.
BCP Seeks RSS Intervention
On Wednesday, a BCP delegation led by Mullick met Basu, the RSS’s Saha Khetra Prachar Pramukh of South Bengal, and raised concerns about attacks on churches and Christian gatherings.
In a statement, the BCP said the delegation highlighted incidents of vandalism and violence targeting mainline churches, house churches, pastors and believers across several districts. It alleged that some attacks were fuelled by accusations of forced conversion.
Speaking to The Hindu, Basu said dialogue with Christian organisations would continue, but added that there were genuine concerns about forced conversions. He called for investigations into both the attacks and allegations of unlawful conversions.
Mullick said the meeting was fruitful and that Basu had assured the delegation he would raise the matter with West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The BCP also expressed interest in meeting RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
The organisation denied allegations of forced conversions, saying it baptised only people who joined Christianity voluntarily. Mullick said the Church opposed unlawful conversion practices and called for investigations into any such allegations, alongside inquiries into attacks on Christian communities.
He also said Christian organisations and church leaders planned to hold a joint dialogue by the end of November to address misconceptions surrounding conversions.
Christians Allege Police Inaction
Several people attending the rally shared accounts of alleged attacks. Panchugopal Mandal, from Balichak in West Midnapore, alleged that a group attacked his home on September 30 during his mother’s burial ceremony. He also accused local police of refusing to register his complaint.
Brother Bonny Tom, a theology student from Kerala, rejected allegations that Christian gatherings were aimed at forced conversions.
A public hearing held in Kolkata on November 2 also recorded testimonies from people who alleged violence and police inaction in different districts.
According to Christian organisations, India Hate Lab documented at least 60 incidents of hate crimes and targeted attacks against Christians across 13 West Bengal districts between May 13 and September 20, 2026. The allegations come amid reports of attacks from East Bardhaman, South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Nadia and West Midnapore.
