Christian Leaders Meet RSS Official in West Bengal Over Church Attacks

Christian representatives met a senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader in Kolkata to discuss recent mob violence targeting churches and congregations across the State.

The Meeting And Violence

A delegation from the Bangiya Christiya Pariseba, led by state secretary Herod Mullick, met Jishnu Saha Khetra Prachar Pramukh of South Bengal Jishnu Basu on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The Christian forum sought intervention to stop ongoing hostilities, highlighting attacks, vandalism, and persecution against mainline churches, house churches, pastors, and believers in several districts over the past four to five months. The BCP stated that attackers often blamed forced conversions through inducement, and noted that members of attacking mobs frequently identified themselves as part of Hindutva organisations.

Responses And Statistics

Mr. Basu stated that talks with Christian groups will continue, while maintaining that genuine concerns about forced conversions exist and calling for investigations into both the attacks and conversion claims. The BCP delegation clarified that the Church opposes unlawful conversions, accepting only those who join by free faith, and called for probes into the violence. Christian groups report that the U.S.-based research project India Hate Lab documented at least 60 hate crimes and targeted attacks against Christians across 13 districts between May 13 and September 20 this year, alongside criticisms that the State administration has remained unresponsive.

Context

Interfaith dialogues and public hearings help bring attention to communal tensions and security concerns faced by minority groups in various regions. Incidents of this nature often prompt calls for stricter law enforcement and independent probes to maintain peace and protect places of worship.