At least 60 incidents targeting Christians were documented in West Bengal between May 13 and September 20, 2026, according to India Hate Lab (IHL).
The period covers the months since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the state government. IHL is an organisation that monitors and documents hate-related incidents.
The report says the incidents span 13 districts and include raids on prayer gatherings, harassment of worshippers, physical assaults, vandalism and public humiliation.
IHL has stated that the allegations documented in the report were not independently verified.
Of the 60 incidents, IHL classified 52 as raids on Christian gatherings and eight as involving physical violence, mob attacks or vandalism.
The report separately documents five public hate speech events targeting Christians, in some cases alongside Muslims, and three protests centred on allegations of religious conversion.
According to IHL, a recurring pattern involved members of Hindu nationalist organisations entering private homes, churches or rented venues during prayer meetings and accusing those present of conducting religious conversions; in some instances, worshippers were allegedly asked to produce Aadhaar cards.
South 24 Parganas and Paschim Medinipur recorded the highest concentration, with 13 raids each.
The organisations named in the report include the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, Hindu Jagaran Manch, Hindu Suraksha Samiti, Hindu Ekta Manch and Hindu Sanghati.
IHL’s report states that some confrontations directly invoked the change in state leadership.
In Panskura on September 3, the report alleges that VHP and Bajrang Dal members interrupted a Christian gathering and warned that conversion activities would not be tolerated in “New Bengal.”
In a separate incident in Barasat on July 12, members of the Hindu Jagaran Manch allegedly told a Christian organisation that their activities “would not be tolerated now that BJP is in power.”
The report documents several incidents in which Christian women were allegedly targeted over religious dress and identity, including the wearing of sakha pola (bangles) and sindoor, traditional Bengali markers usually associated with married Hindu women.
In Ramnagar, Purba Medinipur, on September 5, IHL alleges Christian women were asked to remove their sakha pola and questioned for referring to Jesus as “Swami.”
In Baruipur on July 18, women carrying Bibles and wearing sakha pola and sindoor were allegedly heckled and called “sold out Hindus” and “bejaat Hindus.” On September 19 in Barrackpore, the report alleges VHP and Bajrang Dal members assaulted and publicly humiliated Christian women, accusing them of facilitating conversions; a separate Barrackpore incident allegedly involved women being tied up and assaulted.
IHL also documented alleged vandalism at a church in South 24 Parganas on June 10, and an attack on a church under construction in Subhasgram on July 5 in which crosses were reportedly damaged.
In Howrah on August 25, the report alleges a mob detained two people accused of facilitating conversion, stripping the man and manhandling the woman, while police personnel were allegedly present. Additional alleged assaults during prayer meetings were documented in Kolkata and Magrahat.
The IHL report was released alongside separate complaints from Christian organisations.
Bangiya Christiya Pariseba has submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari alleging 26 cases of persecution over a three-month period, and said 11 FIRs had been registered; the organisation is seeking government intervention and protection for churches and Christian communities.
The Indian Express has reported separately that Christian groups in several districts suspended house prayers following attacks on gatherings, and that police rescued a pastor and worshippers in Uluberia, Howrah, after a mob allegedly attacked a house prayer meeting in August.
IHL said the frequency of incidents increased over the four-month monitoring period, with five raids recorded within a 48-hour span on September 19-20.
Many incidents were filmed and shared on social media, including Facebook and Instagram.
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