On Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused a section of monks from three organizations of asking voters to support the BJP. In response, Swami Pradiptananda of Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) sent a legal notice to Banerjee on Monday, seeking an unconditional apology within 48 hours after she named him in her accusations.
In the legal notice, Pradiptananda’s counsel, Billwadal Bhattacharyya, stated, “We call upon you [Banerjee] to forthwith address the press and issue an unconditional apology and retract your virulent and malicious statement within 48 hours from receipt of this notice and cease from making further similar statements against my client defaming and maligning my client.” A copy of the notice was reviewed by HT.
The notice indicated that if Banerjee did not respond within four days, it would be understood that she intended to give wide publicity to the defamatory content to falsely and maliciously defame Pradiptananda. It added that Pradiptananda, who is the BSS secretary in Aurangabad, Beldanga (Murshidabad), and Payradanga (Nadia) better known as Kartick Maharaj, reserve the right to initiate criminal proceedings against Banerjee.
On Saturday, Banerjee stated that while she has great respect for monks, not all are the same. “BSS has a unit in Berhampore. I have heard about a Maharaj [monk] for a long time. His name is Kartick Maharaj. He said he will not allow any TMC election agent in polling booths. I do not consider him a monk because he is directly involved in politics. He is ruining the country. I have great respect for Bharat Sevashram Sangha,” Banerjee said at a rally in Hooghly.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Banerjee of “bad-mouthing” and “threatening” ISKCON, RKM, and BSS to protect Muslims and infiltrators, calling them the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s vote bank.
“The chief minister is bad-mouthing our great organizations 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]. Wouldn’t you reply to TMC’s appeasement politics with your votes?” Modi said at a rally in Bankura.
