Monks In Kolkata Set to Rally Against CM Mamata Banerjee's Remarks

Kolkata: Monks in West Bengal are set to bring out a rally in Kolkata on May 24 to protest against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks about some monks from the Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevasharam Sangha. The rally, called the 'Sant Swabhiman Yatra', will take place in north Kolkata and is organized by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Bangiya Sanyasi Samaj, the main group of monks in the state.

The rally will also condemn an attack on a Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in Jalpaiguri that happened on Sunday. VHP leader Sourish Mukherjee said that the Chief Minister's remarks were driven by vote bank politics and that the monks will protest against these comments.

Banerjee had said that some monks from important monastic orders in West Bengal were working under the BJP's instructions during the elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi criticised her remarks, accusing the TMC of threatening monks for political reasons. Banerjee clarified that she was criticising certain individuals, not the religious institutions.

Ramakrishna Mission Attacked

Additionally, unidentified individuals stormed the Ramakrishna Mission premises in Jalpaiguri, threatening monks and staff at gunpoint. An official from the Ramakrishna Mission suggested that the attack was related to a local property dispute and not politically motivated. The monks have filed a complaint with the Bhaktinagar police station against a local criminal and his associates.

Mamata's Remarks Created a Stir

This comes after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee accused ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram of "acting under instructions" from New Delhi. She questioned why monks are getting involved in politics. Her remarks created a stir drawing heavy criticism.

"There is a maharaj in Behrampore; I have been hearing about him for a long time. Kartik Maharaj. He says he will not allow any TMC agent in the poll booth. I do not consider him a saint because he is directly involved in politics. I used to respect Bharat Sevashram Sangha a lot. It has been on my list of respected organisations for a long time," she said at an election rally.