Bajrang Dal attacks Christian prayer meeting in Bengal, assaults worshippers

Kolkata: Organisers of a Christian prayer meeting in West Bengal’s Bardhaman district have alleged that BJP and Bajrang Dal workers disrupted their gathering on September 27, accusing the participants of involvement in forced religious conversions.

The incident occurred at Lok Gopal Bhavan in the Nerodighi area while the prayer meeting was in progress. According to attendees, a group of Hindutva activists entered the venue, raised religious slogans and allegedly assaulted worshippers. They also claimed that electronic equipment and other belongings were damaged or taken away, Siasat Daily reported.

Several attendees alleged that women were also humiliated during the confrontation and were forced to perform sit-ups while holding their ears. Videos reportedly from the incident showed a group outside the venue chanting religious slogans, while some attendees were seen being made to perform sit-ups.

Attendees Ritam De, Sangeeta Das and Chandra Sau alleged that the group first accused the organisers of carrying out forced conversions before the situation escalated into violence. They further claimed that worshippers were subsequently forced out of the venue and onto the street.

De later filed a written complaint at Budwan police station, alleging that those involved had links to the BJP and Bajrang Dal. He claimed the attackers accused the organisers of receiving foreign funding and attempting to convert people through the prayer meetings. According to De, the group also warned them against continuing to hold such gatherings.

Bajrang Dal member Indranil Sai denied that the gathering was merely a prayer meeting and alleged that organisers were offering financial incentives to economically vulnerable people to encourage them to convert from Hinduism to Christianity.

The BJP, meanwhile, sought to distance itself from the assault. District spokesperson Shantaroop De said the party did not support such incidents and maintained that allegations of unlawful activity should be dealt with by the police and other authorities rather than by individuals taking the law into their own hands.

He also said that entering a place of worship and assaulting devotees could not be justified.