Congress leader Venugopal urges Amit Shah to arrest accused in alleged attack on Christian families in Bengal

Congress MP and Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Chairman KC Venugopal speaks to the media. File | Photo credit: ANI

Congress MP KC Venugopal on Saturday (October 24, 2026) wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah urging him to immediately arrest those accused of attacking three Christian families and allegedly forcing them to renounce their faith in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district.

Mr. Venugopal, who is also the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PC), described the incident at Patlapur village within Chandrakona police station limits as “deeply disturbing” and called for “stern action” against the accused.

“Three Christian families were allegedly attacked, humiliated and forced to renounce their faith over three consecutive days from October 18 to 20 during the Durga Puja festivities,” the Congress leader wrote.

The families, Mr. Venugopal alleged in his letter, were threatened and attacked after they refused to renounce Christianity.

One woman was allegedly hit in the head and knocked unconscious, while a 15-year-old girl was allegedly strangled and threatened with kidnapping and rape, he said.

The families were allegedly taken to a Durga Puja pandal in neighboring Dingal village on October 19 and forced to offer anjali and undergo an alleged “purification” ritual in front of onlookers, the Congress leader alleged in his two-page letter to Mr Shah.

“They were threatened that if they turned to the police, they would be burned alive,” he added.

Barely a few months after the BJP came to power in West Bengal, we are seeing a new wave of violence leading to the divisive and destructive agenda of the BJP-RSS in the state. The extent of humiliation and torture faced by the victims in Paschim Medinipur, especially the woman who was stripped and subjected to a “purification ritual”, is heartbreaking and those responsible must be punished in the most severe manner. Over the past few years, the BJP-RSS has launched a violent, insidious mission to intimidate and torture Christians across the country. Be it the shocking arrest of nuns in Chhattisgarh or the desecration of churches in various BJP-ruled states, we are witnessing a massive increase in targeted violence against Christians. Our constitution guarantees freedom of religion under Article 25 and our preamble also emphasizes fraternity – but BJP’s attempts have always been to create an atmosphere which is against these principles of our constitution. It is a clear pattern where sanghi goons are given permission to attack minorities and the police are silent bystanders. This is an organized attack at pan-India level and it is happening with Modi-Shah’s blessings. Their superficial attempts to curry favor with Christians fall flat when their true intentions are revealed. I have written to the Union Home Minister and West Bengal CM demanding immediate action against the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

— KC Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) October 24, 2026

Mr. Venugopal also claimed that the complaint filed on the first day did not lead to effective action by the police and that an FIR was registered on October 20, naming 13 persons, after a lawyer intervened on behalf of three families.

The alleged offenses mentioned in his letter include attempted murder, criminal trespass, assault with intent to undress, criminal intimidation, outraging the modesty of a woman and theft.

“Therefore, I request you to order the immediate arrest of all the accused using the strictest applicable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023,” he wrote to Mr. Shah.

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Citing civil society documentation, the Congress leader further claimed that between May 13 and September 20 this year, at least 60 incidents targeting Christians were recorded in 13 districts of West Bengal.

The Congressman also called for decisive action against organizations and individuals who allegedly incite hatred or coerce people in matters of faith.

“India’s strength has always rested on the freedom of every citizen to profess, practice and propagate the faith of his choice as guaranteed by Article 25 of our Constitution,” he wrote.

Mr. Venugopal further described the alleged incident during Durga Puja as particularly disturbing, saying the festival traditionally welcomed people of all faiths to Bengal.

“Those who did this represent neither the Hindu faith nor the culture of Bengal; they bring shame to both,” he wrote.

Earlier this week, a senior police officer told PTI that nine members of three families had complained of being threatened and assaulted on October 18 and 19 and forced to participate in religious rituals against their will.

The police have registered a case based on their complaints and have deployed personnel in the area to prevent any untoward incident.

We have the situation under control, the officer said, adding that investigators are looking into all possible angles, including the possibility of a local dispute or an old family feud.

The police did not release the identity of the accused, citing the ongoing investigation.

Published – 24 Oct 2026 18:07 IST