Congress leader K.C. Venugopal has written to Union home minister Amit Shah, with a copy to Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, seeking urgent action over alleged attacks on three Christian families in Paschim Medinipur.
In his letter dated October 24, Venugopal demanded the immediate arrest of the accused and action against organisations and individuals who intimidate people over their faith.
“I wrote to the Union Home Minister and West Bengal CM demanding urgent action against the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” he said in a post on X.
The letter concerns allegations from Patlapur village under Chandrakona police station.
“Three Christian families were allegedly assaulted, humiliated and coerced to renounce their faith over three consecutive days, from 18 to 20 October 2026, at the very height of the Durga Puja festivities,” Venugopal wrote.
Citing reports and the FIR, he said people reportedly associated with the Bajrang Dal had entered the families’ homes and demanded that they give up Christianity. He alleged that the families were beaten when they refused.
“One woman was allegedly struck on the head so severely that she lost consciousness,” the letter said. It also referred to alleged attempts to disrobe women and threats of abduction and rape against a 15-year-old girl.
Venugopal said the families were subsequently taken to a Durga Puja pandal in neighbouring Dingal village.
“On 19 October, the families were allegedly taken to a Durga Puja pandal in the neighbouring village of Dingal and forced, in front of onlookers, to offer anjali and to undergo a so-called ‘purification’ ritual,” he wrote.
“They were threatened that they would be burnt alive if they approached the police.”
‘An assault… on the Constitution itself’
Venugopal also questioned the police response, citing the families’ account of a complaint made on the first day.
“It is equally troubling that, according to the victims, a complaint made to the police on the very first day did not lead to effective action. The FIR naming 13 persons was registered only on 20 October, after an advocate intervened on their behalf,” he wrote.
Calling for action, he said: “I therefore urge you to direct the immediate arrest of all accused with the strongest applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 invoked.”
The letter also called for firm action against those who incite hatred or coerce people in matters of faith.
“Forcing any person, under threat of violence, to perform the rituals of another faith is an assault not only on the victims but on the Constitution itself,” Venugopal wrote.
He said the alleged coercion at a Puja pandal went against the spirit of the festival.
“To drag frightened families into a pandal and compel them to worship is to defile the very spirit of the festival and to insult the millions of devotees who celebrate it with love and openness. Those who did this represent neither the Hindu faith nor the culture of Bengal; they bring shame to both.”
In his X post, Venugopal accused the BJP and RSS of encouraging attacks on Christians.
“Over the last few years, the BJP-RSS has launched a violent, vicious mission to intimidate and torture Christians across the country,” he alleged.
“Be it the shocking arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh or the desecration of churches in different BJP-ruled states, we are seeing a massive rise in targeted violence against Christians.”
He further alleged: “This is an orchestrated attack at a pan-India level and is happening with Modi-Shah’s blessings.”
“Their perfunctory attempts to woo Christians fall flat when their true intentions are revealed.”
Police register case, deploy personnel
Day before yesterday, police had registered a case and deployed personnel following the families’ complaints.
According to the PTI account, nine members of the three families complained of assaults and threats on October 18 and 19. The families had lived in the area for around 30 years and converted to Christianity about 18 months earlier.
A senior police officer said the families had returned home and personnel had been posted in the area. Police were examining possible motives, including a local dispute or an old family feud.
“We are probing all possible angles. We do not know which political affiliation the accused people belong to,” the officer told PTI.
Earlier this month, at least six people were injured in an attack on a Catholic church in Nadia’s Jalalkhali. The attack was allegedly carried out by Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Bajrang Dal supporters on Friday night. Devotees were beaten up with bamboo poles and stones were hurled at them during a conference on the Holy Bible in Santhali, leaving at least six injured and triggering tension in the Christian-dominated locality.
The VHP accused church authorities of converting tribal people to Christianity.
A report by India Hate Lab (IHL) documented at least 60 alleged hate-crime incidents targeting Christians in Bengal in the first four months of the BJP-led government, with South 24 Parganas and Paschim Medinipur accounting for the majority of the reported attacks.
(With inputs from PTI)