KOLKATA: Belur Math, the international headquarter of Ramakrishna Mission and Ramakrishna Math, on Thursday condemned Trinamool Congress MLA Nirmal Maji’s comment hailing Mamata Banerjee as an incarnation of Maa Sarada, the wife of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Calling Maji’s comment “unfortunate”, organisation secretary-general Swami Suvirananda said the Maa Sarada's disciples are hurt.
“We have received a number of phone calls and emails from disciples regarding Maji’s comment. The remark has hurt the sentiment of countless disciples. It is unfortunate,’’ Suvirananda said.
Maji’s comment had come at an event two days ago, when he also described the Bengal CM as Florence Nightingale, Mother Teresa and Sister Nivedita.
He said, “A few days before Swami Vivekananda’s death, Maa Sarada had told Swamiji’s teammates that when she will be reborn, she will cross the canal, reach Kalighat via Harish Chatterjee Road — right now where didi (Mamata) lives. Didi is mother Sarada.”
Suvirananda refuted the statement, saying that none of the books published from Ramakrishna Math, Ramakrishna Mission or other publishers carries such information.
“I came in contact with many monks and household devotees and disciples who came in contact with Maa Sarada at some point. No such words could be heard from them. I have no idea from where the leader got such strange information,” he said. Maji’s statement also drew criticism from various segments of the society.
TMC secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said the party doesn’t approve of his comment.
“We will look into why he said this,’’ he said.