Onda/Panskudra. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday praised Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangh for their philanthropic work, saying she was not against any institution but criticized one or two for their involvement in politics. . Banerjee had alleged on Saturday that some saints and ascetics of both the monasteries were working “on the instructions of BJP”.
This statement of Mamata was strongly criticized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi alleged that Mamata is “under pressure from Muslim extremists” and is threatening these socio-religious organizations to “appease” the vote bank of Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Addressing an election rally in Onda, Bankura, Banerjee said, “I am not against Ramakrishna Mission, why should I be against any institution or insult it.”
He said, “I talked about one or two people.” The Chief Minister also praised Bharat Sevashram Sangh and said that it works for the people. Banerjee said, “I had talked about Karthik Maharaj, he had not allowed the Trinamool Congress agent to sit (in the polling booth) in Rejinagar.” He claimed that Sant (Maharaj) of Bharat Sevashram Sangh in Murshidabad district is working for BJP. He alleged that when there was a clash between two groups in Rejinagar, he instigated the people.
Banerjee said, “If he wants to work for BJP, he can do so, but he should do so wearing the ‘badge’ of BJP.” Referring to her work for the Ramakrishna Mission in the past, Banerjee said that she saved Swami Vivekananda’s house in Kolkata from being sold by getting it acquired from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Banerjee said that he also saved the house where sister Nivedita stayed in Darjeeling, apart from this he also got the skywalk constructed from the metro railway station to Dakshineswar temple.
He claimed that West Bengal would give an edge to the ‘India’ alliance and “uproot” the BJP from Delhi. Banerjee was campaigning for TMC candidate Sujata Mandal from Bishnupur and Arup Chakraborty from Bankura. Addressing a rally in Panskura for Dev, the TMC candidate from Ghatal, Banerjee said that TMC getting maximum seats will ensure that it will be able to completely help the opposition alliance ‘India’ to form the government at the Centre.