Kolkata. Bharat Sevashram Sangh on Tuesday tried to end the controversy arising out of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s controversial remarks about sadhus. He said that as a charitable organization it is not against anyone.
A sadhu from the Sangh of Murshidabad district had sent a legal notice to Banerjee for her comments about some socio-religious organizations in the state working at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the Chief Minister of ‘working under the pressure of Islamic extremists’. The Prime Minister blamed Mamata for inciting violence against sadhus to appease the vote bank of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). After this, Banerjee clarified that the subject of her criticism was some individual sadhus who were working under the ‘directions of the BJP’, but she was not against any institution.
Sevashram principal secretary Vishwatmanand Maharaj, also known as Dilip Maharaj, told PTI, “Some personal views and opinions may arise due to miscommunication, but Bharat Sevashram Sangh is not involved in this.” . “As a charitable organization, we are not against anyone.” He appreciated both the Central and State Governments for their efforts to promote the activities of the Sangh. He said that Mamata Banerjee has always been supportive. Sangh sources said the organization saw no reason to continue the dispute after Banerjee softened its stand on Monday.
While addressing a public meeting at Goghat in Arambag last week, the Chief Minister had claimed, “Some sadhus of Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangh are working under the influence of BJP leaders in Delhi.” Banerjee took the name of Swami Pradiptananda, a senior monk of the Sangh working from Beldanga Math in Murshidabad.
Banerjee accused Swami Pradiptananda, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj, of not allowing TMC election agents to sit inside a polling booth in Rejinagar when voting took place in Baharampur seat. After this, Karthik Maharaj sent a legal notice to the Chief Minister on May 13 and demanded a public apology from him.
Along with giving clarification, Banerjee stood by her point on Monday and said that the Sadhu gathered support for the BJP by propagating the spiritualism supported by the Sangh. He had said, “If you do this then I have no problem.” But you should do this wearing the BJP badge, not by becoming a saint.” Meanwhile, in the early hours of Sunday, unidentified miscreants allegedly threatened sadhus and other employees at gunpoint at the Ramakrishna Mission complex in Jalpaiguri district. Condemning the attack, the Prime Minister accused the TMC government of creating terror among the Sadhus to please its vote bank.
Addressing an election rally in Jhargram on Monday, Prime Minister Modi had claimed that Banerjee was ‘making threats’ against the sadhus of Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangh, daring TMC goons to attack the ashram. Modi said, “ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangh are known for service and morality, but today the Chief Minister of Bengal is openly threatening them. This is being done to please the vote bank. When the Chief Minister herself is threatening the Sadhus, the TMC goons are now daring to attack the Ramakrishna Mission.”