 "Bharat Sevashram Sangha monk sends defamation notice to Mamata Banerjee")
Bharat Sevashram Sangha monk Swami Pradiptananda issued a defamation notice to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, seeking her apology within 48 hours for trying to defame him.
Pradiptananda, also known as Kartik Maharaj and head of the Beldanga unit of BSS, issued a defamation notice to the chief minister and organised a protest in Berhampore following her labelling him as a “BJP stooge” during a campaign rally.
The Bharat Sevashram Sangha, however, has distanced itself from the remarks made by Swami Pradiptananda.
Swami Biswatmananda, principal secretary of Bharat Sevashram Sangha headquarters, said Pradiptananda’s statements were made in his personal capacity and were “not endorsed” by the Sangha. “This should not have been said. It is unfortunate. No permission was sought from us [Bharat Sevashram Sangha headquarters]. We will inquire into it,” Biswatmananda said.
Monk’s defamation notice
The monk’s notice asked the Chief Minister “...to forthwith address the press and issue an unconditional apology and retract your virulent and mala fide statement as aforesaid within 48 hours from receipt of the instant notice and cease and desist from making further similar statements against my client, be it on any website, newsprint or television channel defaming and maligning my client.”
The notice, issued by the monk’s legal counsel, further said, “I must ask you to let me have a reply within four days of receipt of this letter. If I do not receive any reply, my client will understand and proceed on the basis that you wanted to give and have given wide publicity to the defamatory content with intent to falsely and maliciously defame my client and the Bharat Sevashram Sangha. My client fully reserves his right to take further appropriate action, including initiation of criminal cases against you for making such baseless, false, frivolous, slanderous and malicious statements...”
CM’s clarification
During an election campaign rally in Onda of Bankura, the Chief Minister clarified that she was addressing ‘lies’ of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speeches. “I am not against the Ramakrishna Mission. Why should I be against an institution and why should I even think of disrespecting an order? I had gone to see the President Maharaj a few days back when he was unwell. That is not the issue. I have only spoken against one or two people,” she said.
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Banerjee further added, “I named one man. He is Kartik Maharaj. He did not allow TMC to field agents and also masterminded the riot in Murshidabad before the polls. That’s why I took his name. He was earlier with Adhir (Choudhury of the Congress) but is now in the BJP. He runs an ashram at Rejinagar where the riot happened. I have no problem with his ashram. But when I enquired about our party agents’ absence at (polling booths, I was told that Kartik Maharaj said he would not allow them.”
(With agency inputs)