Bengal church attack: Priests beaten, women allegedly forced to remove bangles

Kolkata: A church was allegedly vandalised and priests and devotees were assaulted during its inauguration ceremony in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district, police said on Sunday. Several people, including women, were reportedly injured in the incident.

The incident took place on Saturday at Narayantala, under the Basanti police station limits, when Bishop Subrata Chakraborty, several priests and devotees had gathered for the inauguration.

According to police, a complaint alleged that a group of 30 to 35 people entered the church premises and attacked those present.

"We have received a complaint that 30-35 people entered a 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," a police officer said.

The attackers allegedly damaged a Cross inside the church, assaulted priests and devotees, and smashed the mobile phones of people attempting to record the incident, the officer added.

Members of the congregation also alleged that the attackers threatened to prevent religious activities from being conducted at the premises.

Police have launched an investigation into the incident.

The attack drew condemnation from the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), a Christian organisation, which described it as an attempt to intimidate the minority community.

Herod Mullick, the organisation's founder state secretary and working president, said the incident was unprecedented.

"This is an unprecedented incident where miscreants have beaten up multiple priests during an inauguration ceremony with the bishop present."

He alleged that organised groups were targeting minorities without fear of action.

"Organised groups take the law into their own hands to target peaceful minorities. 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," Mullick said.

The incident comes weeks after three Christian families in West Bengal's Paschim Medinipur district approached the police, alleging that they had been threatened and assaulted by a group of people to force them to renounce their faith.

The families, who had converted to Christianity around 18 months ago, also alleged that they were forced to participate in religious rituals against their wishes.