NEW DELHI: Congress MP KC Venugopal on Saturday wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah urging him to issue directives for the immediate arrest of those accused of assaulting three Christian families and forcing them to renounce their faith in West Bengal’s Paschim Medinipur district.Venugopal described the incident at Patlapur village within Chandrakona police station limits as “deeply disturbing” and called for “stringent action” against the accused. He has also sent a copy of the letter to West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari.“Three Christian families were allegedly assaulted, humiliated and coerced to renounce their faith over three consecutive days, from October 18 to 20, during Durga Puja festivities,” the letter said.The families, Venugopal claimed, were threatened and assaulted after they refused to give up Christianity.Venugopal said that according to the victims, a complaint lodged on the first day did not lead to effective action from police.“An FIR naming 13 persons was registered only on October 20, after an advocate intervened on behalf of the three families,” Venugopal said.“Those who did this represent neither the Hindu faith nor the culture of Bengal; they bring shame to both,” his letter stated.

Citing civil society documentation, the Congress leader claimed that at least 60 incidents targeting Christians had been recorded across 13 districts of West Bengal between May 13 and Sept 20 this year.