Hundreds of Hindu monks on Friday descended on the streets of Kolkata in protest against the remarks by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed at certain religious orders and monks.
The monks walked barefoot from the house of Maa Sarada in Baghbazar area of north Kolkata to the house of Swami Vivekananda located on Shimla Street.
During an election rally in Hooghly district, the Chief Minister referred to Hindu religious orders like Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Ramakrishna Mission and ISKCON. Ms. Banerjee had targeted a monk of Bharat Sevashram Sangha Kartick Maharaj and accused him for Beldanga riots in Murshidabad during Ram Navami procession last month.
While the Chief Minister, had later said that her remarks were not targeted at any religious order, the development has assumed significance in the midst of Lok Sabha polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his election campaign had accused the Chief Minister of threatening monks.
Soon after the remarks of the Chief Minister there was an attempt to occupy premises of Ramakrishna Mission at Jalpiaguri in north Bengal.
Participating in the procession, Kartick Maharaj, also known as Swami Pradiptananda Maharaj, said that the remarks were not a personal attack but an attack on Hindu religious order.
The procession witnessed monks dressed in saffron and well as their followers. Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and he Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) were also seen participating in the procession with the monks. The rally was christened as “Sant Swabhiman Yatra,” and was organised by Bangiya Sanyasi Samaj, an apex body of saints in the State.
Political observers have pointed out that the Chief Minister opening up a new front against Hindu monks in middle of elections will result in polarisation of Hindu votes.
Will challenge HC order on OBC reservation
Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that her government will approach a higher court, challenging the Calcutta High Court order that cancelled all OBC certificates issued in the State since 2010.
The court had observed that the inclusion of 77 classes of Muslims in the list of backward categories was to “treat them as a vote bank”.
“We do not accept the order that scrapped OBC certificates. We will contest at a higher court after summer vacation,” Ms. Banerjee said addressing a rally at South 24 Parganas.
