Bharat Sevashram Sangha monk sends defamation notice to Mamata Banerjee.

Legal Row Erupts as Swami Pradiptananda Sends Legal Notice to Mamata Banerjee. A storm of condemnation raised against the Chief Minister of West Bengal.

Sankirtan Das | HENB | Kolkata | May 20, 2024:: Swami Pradiptananda (Kartik Maharaj),  of Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) has sent a legal notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, demanding an unconditional apology within 48 hours. This action follows Banerjee’s recent public remarks in an election meeting implicating a section of monks, including Pradiptananda, in campaigning for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Banerjee, addressing a rally in Hooghly on Saturday, expressed her mixed reaction for monks but singled out Kartick Maharaj, whose Sanyas name is Swami Pradiptananda, accusing him of political involvement. She alleged that Pradiptananda, a prominent figure in BSS, was preventing TMC election agents from entering polling booths, thereby directly participating in politics.

Swami Pradiptananda, through his counsel Billwadal Bhattacharyya, refuted these allegations and demanded an immediate public apology from Banerjee. The legal notice emphasized that failure to comply would be taken as an intent to defame Pradiptananda maliciously, reserving the right to initiate criminal proceedings against the Chief Minister.

But, in an election rally in Onda, Bankura on Monday CM Mamata Banerjee clarified her position to attack Kartik Maharaj (Swami Pradiptananda) as he allegedly  prevented the TMC agents in some booths in Rejinagar where his on BSS Ashram is situated. Mamata also accused Swami Pradiptananda for his involvement in the recent riot in Murshidabad two days before election there.

Swami Pradiptananda however refuted all these baseless allegations and sent legal notice to CM Mamata Banerjee.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also weighed in on the controversy, accusing Banerjee of maligning revered organizations like ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission (RKM), and BSS to secure votes from Muslim communities. At a rally in Bankura on Sunday, Modi condemned Banerjee’s statements, framing them as an insult to Bengal’s heritage and culture and urging voters to respond to what he described as the TMC’s appeasement politics.

The incident has heightened political tensions in West Bengal, with accusations of religious and cultural disrespect becoming a focal point in the ongoing electoral battle. As the deadline for Banerjee’s response approaches, the political landscape remains volatile, with potential legal and electoral repercussions.

The BJP leader and Leader of Opposition in WB Assembly Suvendu Adhikari praised the courageous stand of Swami Pradiptananda for challenging Mamata Banerjee’s malicious mentality to attack Sanatani saints and monks of revered Hindu organisations.

Taking his X handle Adhikari wrote, “I express my gratitude to the Holy Monks and the Monastic Orders for being upfront and courageous by standing up and raising their voices against the targeted attacks of Mamata Banerjee upon Sanatan Dharma and its custodians being the Sanyasis. My obeisance to the revered and Holy Swami Pradiptananda Ji (Kartick Maharaj). Victory to truth and Sanatanis forever.”

WB State Committee of VHP has vehemently condemned the anti-Hindu stand of CM Mamata Banerjee as reflected in her recent remarks against BSS, RKM and ISKCON.

The ‘Bangiyo Sanyasi Samaj’ will take out a big protest rally in Kolkata under the banner of ‘Virat Sant Swabhiman Yatra’ on May 24 (Friday) at 4 pm. The rally will start from Bagbazar Nivedita Park and will end at Birth Place of Swami Vivekananda at Maniktala via Girish Avenue, Bagbazar Street, Shyam Bazar 5 point and Bidhan Sarani. A storm of condemnation raised against the Chief Minister of West Bengal for her comments against the monks and saints of Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS), Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) and International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). 

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__Inputs from DY365 and ABP Ananda.