Modi condemns attack on RKM ashram, accuses TMC of vote bank politics; Mamata clarifies stance

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday engaged in a heated exchange over the latter's remarks against Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangha, with Modi accusing the TMC of threatening monks for vote bank politics and Banerjee clarifying that her criticism was directed at certain individuals, not the institutions.

Addressing an election rally in West Bengal's Jhargram, Modi condemned the vandalism at Ramakrishna Mission ashram in Jalpaiguri on Sunday and accused the TMC regime of instigating violence against monks to appease their vote bank.

"It is shameful that the TMC has taken up the onus of hurting the religious faith of Hindus in Bengal. The CM is threatening the Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Ashram monks. On Sunday, Ramakrishna Mission ashram in Jalpaiguri was attacked. The people of Bengal will not tolerate this," Modi said.

His remarks followed the vandalism incident on Sunday, where miscreants stormed the Ramakrishna Mission (RKM) premises in Jalpaiguri, threatening monks and other employees at gunpoint.

"Around 10 armed youths barged into our ashram at 3 am, went to the first floor and threatened the eight people present there - including senior monks - at gunpoint to leave the premises," an RKM official said.

The attackers then vandalised the premises, breaking CCTV cameras and locking the main gate before fleeing. Police later rescued the stranded monks and staff.

An RKM official suggested that a local land mafia was behind the early Sunday morning incident, which was reportedly a property dispute issue. The monks have lodged a complaint at Bhaktinagar police station against a local tough and his associates.

Political tensions have intensified as both the BJP and the TMC used the development to galvanise their respective support bases during the elections, with the BJP portraying the attack as part of a broader pattern of religious intolerance under the TMC and Banerjee defending her commitment to religious and philanthropic institutions while denouncing political meddling by certain individuals.

Modi criticised Banerjee's recent comments against certain monks of RKM and BSS that they were working as per instructions of the BJP, asserting that these socio-religious organisations are being threatened to appease the TMC's vote bank.

"ISKCON, RKM, and Bharat Sevashram Sangha are known for service and morality, but today the CM of Bengal is threatening them. This is being done to appease the vote bank. As the CM is threatening the monks, TMC goons now dare to attack Ramakrishna Mission," 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 statements, Modi said, "The TMC does not care about the sentiments of the people of Bengal. They have no sympathy for the feelings of the Hindus here. The people of Bengal will not tolerate this insult." The Prime Minister accused Banerjee of abusing saints and monks of the state to appease her vote bank.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, speaking at rallies in Onda and Panskura earlier, praised the RKM and BSS for their philanthropic work and clarified that her criticism was directed at specific persons.

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