The monk who took on Mamata Banerjee: Why Opposition seeing red over Padma Shri for Kartik Maharaj

“The disapproval I got astatine the clip made maine famous. Their advertisements made maine famous. Earlier, I was lone known successful Murshidabad but present I americium known nationwide,” Kartik Maharaj told reporters astatine his ashram successful Beldanga.

The award for Kartik Maharaj has not gone down good with the TMC oregon adjacent the Congress and the CPI(M), each of whom criticised the “political nature” of the Union government’s decision. According to these parties, the monk espouses a divisive governmental docket successful a delicate portion that saw communal hostility doubly past year. In April, a period earlier Mamata Banerjee criticised him, determination was unit successful Beldanga and adjacent Saktipur during the Ram Navami festival. Beldanga again saw communal hostility past November aft an objectionable remark connected a show committee adjacent a Kartik Puja pandal led to a clash, forcing the territory medication to enforce prohibitory orders.

Hours earlier the Padma awards were announced, Kartik Maharaj addressed tribals astatine an lawsuit successful Murshidabad territory wherever helium said, “Like Lord Ram had to instrumentality up bows and arrows to decision Ravan, you person to resoluteness to support bows and arrows astatine your location from present on. Only past volition chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’ suit you.”

“The BJP has made it wide that ‘Padma (lotus)’ loses its ‘Shri (beauty)’ astatine times. The BJP has proved that the database of awardees is agenda-driven and has defamed the different awardees,” said TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh.

His enactment workfellow and Debra MLA Humayun Kabir, a erstwhile IPS officer, told The Indian Express, “I had respect for the Padma awards committee but not anymore aft they chose Kartik Maharaj. He has not made immoderate publication for which helium should beryllium selected for specified a prestigious honour. When I was the SP of Murshidabad, I had erstwhile summoned him successful transportation with a substance but helium did not crook up retired of fearfulness that helium would beryllium arrested.”

Former authorities Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged that the Padma awards were being tarnished due to the fact that of politics. “The BJP authorities has politicised 1 of the highest civilian awards. Those who judge successful the ideology of the BJP and the RSS volition beryllium rewarded.”

“It has present go an instrumentality to triumph implicit governmental allegiance. This is an effort to glorify a idiosyncratic who believes successful divisive politics,” said CPI(M) authorities caput Mohammad Selim.

Defending the monk, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP said, “He is not conscionable a Hindu spiritual leader. He runs 13 schools and successful areas wherever the state’s wellness infrastructure does not reach, helium has acceptable up hospitals.”

What Kartik Maharaj wants

The 63-year-old Kartik Maharaj, who is known for the enactment helium does successful the Beldanga country successful enactment with the ideals of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha, saw his illustration emergence aft the contention past twelvemonth erstwhile the CM alleged that helium had said that helium would “not let immoderate TMC cause successful the canvass booth”. Banerjee added, “I bash not see him a saint due to the fact that helium is straight progressive successful authorities and is ruining the country. I utilized to respect Bharat Sevashram Sangha a lot. It has been connected my database of respected organisations for a agelong clip … (But) immoderate monks of Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha are moving nether the power of BJP leaders successful Delhi. Those who are looking aft temples are doing a large spiritual job, but not everyone. This is not done. We respect the monks.”

In caller months, Kartik Maharaj has spoken astir mounting up a unpaid unit to support Hindus. This dovetails with the BJP’s authorities arsenic 1 of its main allegations against the TMC is that it aims to appease Muslims due to the fact that of electoral reasons and that Hindus successful the authorities are not harmless nether the Mamata government.

The task to acceptable up the “Hindu Rakkhi Dal (Hindu Protection Force)” successful Bengal has gained a consciousness of urgency for Kartik Maharaj since the apprehension of an ISKCON monk successful Bangladesh past November and allegations that Hindus were being systematically targeted there. At the time, the Bharat Sevashram Sangha led by the monk had marched to the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission bureau successful Kolkata and submitted a memorandum demanding that Hindus beryllium protected.

“Swami Pranavananda Maharaj introduced the conception of Hindu Rakkhi Dal. We are present trying to revive it,” Kartik Maharaj told The Indian Express. “We are disquieted astir the concern of Hindus successful Bengal. In Bangladesh, we cognize however Hindus are attacked. In Bengal, too, that has already started. We person to supply information to our Hindu brothers and sisters.”

He did not remark connected the disapproval that the Padma Shri for him has sparked but reiterated that the “Trinamool netri (leader)” had helped him go a household name. “It was a blessing,” helium said.