KOLKATA : A few youths vandalised premises of the Ramakrishna Mission in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district and threatened monks and other employees to leave the place, RKM officials said Monday.
The incident happened two days after chief minister Mamata Banerjee came down on some monks of RKM and Bharat Sevashram Sangha for “supporting BJP and trying to incite communal violence.”
Condemning the attack on the ashram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi lashed out at Banerjee during an election rally for insulting RKM and Bharat Sevashram Sangha. “It is shameful that the TMC has taken up the onus of hurting the religious faith of Hindus in Bengal,” he said in Jhargram.
Reacting to it, Banerjee said in Bankura, “I am not against Ramakrishna Mission. Why should I be against an institution or insult it? Even I paid a visit to Maharaj (former head of the RKM) when he was ill. I have spoken about one or two persons.” The CM also praised Bharat Sevashram Sangha. “Bharat Sevashram Sangha does great philanthropic work and they also love me. I only mentioned one name and he is Kartik Maharaj. Two days before the election in Murshidabad, he incited a riot in the district,” she said.
Officials said a local land mafia was behind the attack on RKM ashram in Jalpaiguri. Police have initiated a probe and promised security to the ashram.
‘Visited Maharaj’
Mamata Banerjee said in Bankura, “I am not against Ramakrishna Mission. Why should I be against an institution or insult it? Even I paid a visit to Maharaj when he was ill. I have spoken about one or two persons.”