Church vandalised and priests attacked during inauguration in West Bengal
A group of 30 to 35 people allegedly assaulted devotees and damaged property at a Narayantala church on Saturday.
A group of 30 to 35 people allegedly vandalised a church and assaulted priests and devotees during an inauguration ceremony in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on Saturday, according to reports by Hindustan Times, The Pioneer and Outlook.
The incident took place at Narayantala in the Basanti police station area while Bishop Subrata Chakraborty, several priests and members of the congregation were present. The attackers allegedly damaged a cross, smashed mobile phones of those attempting to record the event, and threatened to stop religious activities on the premises.
A police officer stated on Sunday that women were allegedly attacked and told to remove their traditional white bangles, known as shakha, before being forced out. Basanti police station officer-in-charge Prabir Ghosh said a preliminary investigation suggested the conflict arose from a dispute between two churches situated within 100 metres of each other.
Bishop Chakraborty alleged that members of the local Hindu Jagran Manch, supported by people from nearby Baptist churches, entered the premises while chanting 'Jai Shri Ram'. He claimed some Hindu families helped protect the congregation, though police have not confirmed these claims.
Herod Mullick, the working president of the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba (BCP), called the attack an attempt to intimidate the minority community. He said miscreants had beaten multiple priests during the ceremony and claimed organised groups are targeting peaceful minorities without facing deterrence from the government.
Police have initiated an investigation into the matter. As of Monday morning, no arrests had been announced and the official number of injured persons was not confirmed.