KOLKATA, Nov. 2 -- A group of around 30-35 people allegedly stormed a church during its inauguration in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, vandalised religious symbols and assaulted priests and devotees, leaving several people injured, police said on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Saturday at Narayantala, under the jurisdiction of Basanti police station, where Bishop Subrata Chakraborty, several priests and members of the congregation had assembled for the inauguration ceremony. According to police, the group entered the church premises and attacked those attending the event. The assailants allegedly damaged a cross, assaulted worshippers and smashed the mobile phones of people attempting to record the violence. A police officer said a complaint had been received alleging that women attending the ceremony were also assaulted and forced to remove their traditional shakha, or white conch-shell bangles, before being driven out of the premises. Police said the complaint described an attack on priests and devotees who had gathered for the inauguration. Several people reportedly sustained injuries during the confrontation.
The attackers allegedly targeted women wearing traditional bangles and demanded that they remove them. Members of the congregation also claimed that the group threatened to prevent religious activities from being conducted at the church. Officials said mobile phones belonging to people who attempted to document the incident were damaged, apparently to prevent the confrontation from being recorded. Police have initiated an investigation into the allegations. The identities of those involved and the precise circumstances leading to the violence remain under examination. The incident drew strong condemnation from Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), a Christian organisation, which described the violence as an attempt to intimidate members of the minority community. Herod Mullick, the organisation's founder state secretary and working president, said the attack was particularly disturbing because it occurred during an inauguration ceremony attended by a bishop and several priests. He alleged that organised groups were increasingly taking the law into their own hands and targeting members of minority communities without fear of consequences.
Mullick also criticised what he described as inadequate administrative action against those responsible for previous incidents of intimidation. The organisation demanded action against those involved in the attack and raised concerns about the safety of religious gatherings. The alleged vandalism comes weeks after three Christian families in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district approached police, claiming that they had been threatened and assaulted by a group of people seeking to force them to renounce their faith. The families, who had converted to Christianity approximately 18 months earlier, also alleged that they were compelled to participate in religious rituals against their wishes. Those allegations had raised concerns among Christian organisations about intimidation and interference with religious practices. In the latest incident, police are examining the complaint filed in connection with the Basanti church attack. Further action will depend on the findings of the investigation.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.