KOLKATA: Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS) has removed a monk from its fold after he entered the electoral fray on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket for the forthcoming West Bengal Assembly elections.
In an internal note, the BSS described the move as a serious departure from the order's principles and a "political" move.
According to the internal circular issued after a meeting of its top decision-making body, the Sangha expelled Swami Jyotirmayananda, also known as Utpal Maharaj, who has been nominated by the BJP from the Kaliaganj constituency in Uttar Dinajpur district, a BSS official said on Saturday when contacted.
The communication stated that by opting to contest elections, the monk had deviated from the path of renunciation and discipline expected of members of the monastic order.
It maintained that "active participation in partisan politics is incompatible with the ideals upheld by the Sangha.
Reaffirming its institutional stance, the organisation said it maintains strict neutrality in political matters and bars its monks, brahmacharis and associates from engaging in or endorsing any political activity.
The note further cautioned that any inclination towards political involvement or worldly pursuits undermines the spiritual commitments integral to the Sangha's ethos, and indicated that similar violations by others would invite firm action.
Utpal Maharaj told reporters on Friday that he had already submitted his resignation letter to the BSS headquarters before agreeing to contest on the BJP ticket, and the BSS just "confirmed" his resignation.
"I have a clear understanding of BSS rules that a monk associated with the order cannot take part in active politics, and before they (BSS) issued the letter, I had already submitted my resignation. It is just that the Sangha authorities acknowledged and confirmed my decision to dissociate from the order," he said.
Founded as a socio-religious and philanthropic body, the Kolkata-headquartered Bharat Sevashram Sangha emphasised that detachment from temporal affairs remains a cornerstone of its philosophy.