TMC In Damage Control Mode After Mamata Riles Up Ramakrishna Mission, Sevashram Monks; Row Explained

With the Lok Sabha Election now in the penultimate phase, a controversy of sorts has erupted involving Mamata Banerjee and the Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS), after the West Bengal chief minister has alleged that some of the monks were working for the BJP.

In the last three days, Banerjee again targeted a prominent monk of the BSS and blamed him for the riots at Beldanga in Murshidabad during Ram Navami processions last month.

Banerjee later clarified on Monday at a public rally in Bishnupur constituency in Bankura district, “I am not against Ramakrishna Mission. Why should I be against an institution and show disrespect? Even I paid a visit to Maharaj (former head of the RKM) when he was ill. I have only talked about one or two people. Bharat Sevashram Sangha does great philanthropic work for the people and they also love me. I only mentioned one name and he is Kartik Maharaj. He did not allow our agents in polling booths. Two days before the election in Murshidabad, he incited a riot in the district. That’s why I took his name,” as quoted by The Indian Express.

Swami Pradiptananda, also known as Kartik Maharaj, the head of BSS’ Beldanga unit, has sent a legal notice to the Trinamool Congress supremo, seeking an unconditional apology within 48 hours.

“…call upon you [Banerjee] to forthwith address the press and issue an unconditional apology and retract your virulent and malafide statement within 48 hours from receipt of the instant notice and cease and desist from making further similar statements against my client defaming and maligning my client,” Pradiptananda’s counsel Billwadal Bhattacharyya said in the notice, as mentioned by Hindustan Times.

Pradiptananda told media, “In my legal notice, I stated that the CM’s false accusations have caused reactions among monks and devotees. (In the notice, I asked her to) provide proof for the allegations she made. Otherwise, she should issue an unconditional apology.” He claimed Banerjee’s comments were highly libellous and demanded a reply within four days, failing which he would take legal action.

BSS, however, has distanced itself from the remarks made by Swami Pradiptananda. Swami Biswatmananda, principal secretary of BSS headquarters, said as quoted by The Times of India, “The order respects Banerjee for the work she does for the poor.” Pradiptananda’s statements were made in his personal capacity and were “not endorsed” by BSS. “This should not have been said. It is unfortunate. No permission was sought from us (BSS headquarters). We will inquire into it,” he said.

What Exactly Happened?

During his protest, Pradiptananda said, “All parties have cordial relations with me. Even TMC leaders have come to meet me. So did Congress and BJP leaders. In Beldanga, a section of people considers me to be their guardian. There is no politics in it.”

He criticised Banerjee for not addressing a communally divisive statement made by her party MLA Humayun Kabir. “I have the right to protect my religion,” he added.

At a rally on Saturday in Hooghly’s Jayrambati, the birthplace of Sarada Devi, wife of Sri Ramakrishna, Mamata had referred to Kartik Maharaj, and said “I do not consider him a monk as he is directly involved in politics and is ruining the country. I used to respect the Bharat Sevashram Sangha a lot”.

Banerjee also accused some members of the Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) working for the BJP. She went on to say members of the Ramakrishna Mission got their “instructions from Delhi”. “Some monks of the Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha are working under the influence of BJP leaders in Delhi,” Banerjee said as quoted by The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Banerjee of “bad-mouthing” and “threatening” ISKCON, RKM, and BSS to protect Muslims and infiltrators, calling them TMC’s vote bank.

“…the chief minister is bad-mouthing our great organisations and maligning them under pressure from hardcore Muslim outfits to secure votes. TMC is insulting Bengal’s heritage and culture. They repeatedly use vulgar words against Ram Mandir [in Ayodhya]. Would not you reply to TMC’s appeasement politics with your votes,” Modi said at a rally in Bankura.

About Ramkrishna Mission

While the Ramakrishna Mission was established in 1897 by Swami Vivekananda, who has been adopted by the RSS as one of its icons, the Sevashram Sangha was founded in 1917 by monk Pranabananda Maharaj and is best known for providing humanitarian relief across the country during natural calamities.

Although Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission are legally and financially separate, they are closely inter-related in several other ways and are to be regarded as twin organisations. Their headquarters is called Belur Math, located in Belur, West Bengal.

PM Modi claims a close association with the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, and in June 2017, at the death of its head Swami Atmasthananda, had offered his condolences calling it a “personal loss”. He posted on X that he had got spiritual guidance from Swami Atmasthananda in Rajkot, Gujarat. “I lived with him during a very important period of my life.”

ISKCON, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious organisation.