Swami Pradiptananda of Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) has sent a legal notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, demanding an unconditional apology within 48 hours after she publicly accused a section of monks, including Pradiptananda, of working for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The notice, issued by Pradiptananda’s counsel Billwadal Bhattacharyya, insists that Banerjee retract her “virulent and malafide” statements and cease making further defamatory comments against Pradiptananda. If Banerjee does not comply within the stipulated time, Pradiptananda reserves the right to initiate criminal proceedings against her.
The controversy arose when Banerjee, during a rally in Hooghly, mentioned that she respects monks but alleged that not all of them uphold the same values. Specifically, she accused Kartick Maharaj (Swami Pradiptananda), the BSS secretary in Aurangabad, Beldanga (Murshidabad), and Payradanga (Nadia), of being politically active and not allowing Trinamool Congress (TMC) election agents in polling booths. Banerjee stated, “I do not consider him a monk because he is directly involved in politics. He is ruining the country.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also weighed in on the issue, accusing Banerjee of defaming revered organizations like ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission (RKM), and BSS to protect her vote bank among Muslims and infiltrators. Modi criticized Banerjee’s remarks, stating that they insult Bengal’s heritage and culture and were made under pressure from hardcore Muslim outfits. He urged voters to respond to TMC’s appeasement politics in the upcoming elections.
The legal notice from Pradiptananda asserts that if Banerjee fails to respond within four days, it will be interpreted as an intention to widely publicize the defamatory content, potentially leading to further legal actions.
