Modi criticises Mamata for remarks against Ramakrishna Mission, Bharat Sevashram Sangha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjees remarks against a few monks of Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha, alleging that she is under pressure from Muslim extremists and accused her of threatening these socio-religious organisations to appease the TMCs vote bank.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's remarks against a few monks of Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha, alleging that she is ''under pressure from Muslim extremists'' and accused her of threatening these socio-religious organisations to ''appease'' the TMC's vote bank. Addressing back-to-back rallies in Purulia, Bishnupur, and Medinipur, Modi said the TMC has crossed all limits and appealed to voters to teach the party a lesson through their votes so that it does not dare to insult socio-religious organisations in future.

''The TMC, which has intimidated and threatened people of Bengal during elections, has crossed all limits this time. ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission created by Swami Vivekananda, and Bharat Sevashram Sangha are known for service and morality, but the CM is openly threatening them,'' he said. Modi emphasised that these organisations have millions of followers and their sole aim is to serve people. ''The TMC has pointed fingers at them. Such is their audacity! Just to please their vote bank?'' he questioned.

Addressing another rally at Bishnupur, the PM accused Banerjee of being under pressure from Muslim fundamentalists to attack saints and monks.

''The TMC is jittery because the party sees its time is over. In desperation, TMC leaders have started hurling abuses at prestigious organizations like ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission, and Bharat Sevashram Sangha. The CM under pressure from Muslim extremists has publicly insulted our faith, monks and saints to appease her vote bank,'' he said.

Addressing an election rally in Goghat under Arambagh Lok Sabha constituency on Saturday, Banerjee had claimed, ''Some monks of Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha are working under the influence of BJP leaders in Delhi.'' Criticising her remarks, Modi said, ''The TMC does not care about the sentiments of people of Bengal. The country will not tolerate the insult of such institutions and revered figures like Swami Vivekananda. The government, which does not have any respect for such religious organisations, has to be taught a lesson through your votes so that it does not dare to insult such organisations in future.'' The PM criticised the ''corrupt INDIA bloc, including the TMC,'' saying, ''Modi guarantees that none of the corrupt people will be spared.'' ''After the new government is formed on June 4, corrupt people will spend their lives in jail. Action against them will intensify after the poll results,'' he added.

Modi alleged that the TMC and Congress are two sides of the same coin when it comes to corruption.

He asserted that the TMC, Congress, and the Left might be three different parties, but their sins are the same and ''that is why they formed the INDIA bloc.'' ''These parties have only given empty promises to the poor, women, and SC and ST communities. Wherever they formed governments, they destroyed the states. Bengal is a prime example of that,'' he said. Modi accused the INDIA bloc parties of operating on a ''model of misrule, corruption, appeasement, and dynastic politics.'' The PM criticised the TMC's vote-bank politics, saying the party ''refrained from taking action against culprits in Sandeshkhali and is now pointing fingers at women who suffered atrocities.'' ''The incident of Sandeshkhali has shaken the women of Bengal. The TMC has dehumanised women of SC and ST communities to protect Shahjahan Sheikh. The leaders of TMC are pointing fingers at the women who suffered atrocities,'' he said.

''TMC gives the slogan of 'Maa, Mati, Manush' yet does nothing to protect them. The women of Bengal have lost faith in TMC,'' he said.

Modi's remarks come amid multiple purported videos of Sandeshkhali women circulating in the public domain, claiming that a local saffron party leader made those women sign blank papers which were later filled up as complaints of sexual assault. However, the Prime Minister did not directly refer to those videos.

PTI could not independently verify the authenticity of those videos, which have kept the state's political situation volatile in recent days.

Modi slammed the INDIA bloc over the issue of reservation and said that they want to give quotas based on religion.

''Babasaheb Ambedkar was against providing reservations based on religion. But now, the INDIA alliance wants to give reservations based on religion. In Karnataka, they gave OBC reservations to Muslims, and TMC supported Congress in this conspiracy. Do you want to put an end to your reservations? You are not the vote bank for TMC and Congress, so these parties don't care about you,'' he said.

Hitting out at the corruption of the TMC, Modi said, ''Everything of the corrupt TMC leaders will be sold.'' ''The TMC has not even spared your children in its hunger for money. In the land where Saraswati Puja takes place, the 'teacher recruitment scam' also takes place. It has put the future of not only the youth but also the coming generations at stake,'' he said at the rally.

Modi subtly criticised Banerjee by stating that he ''does not have to do anything for his nephews,'' in an apparent reference to Banerjee's nephew, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee.

''Neither do I have to do anything for any of my nephews nor do I have to leave anything for any brother. I have to leave a developed India as a legacy for the children of the poor, Dalit, and tribals, so I have come to seek your blessings for the third time,'' he said.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)