The Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) is planning to organise a march of thousands of monks from across Bengal in Calcutta on May 24 to protest against chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent accusation that one or two monks were acting at the behest of the BJP.

“Thousands of monks, including those associated with several Hindu spiritual-philanthropic organisations, will take part in the rally. It will be organised under the banner of Bangiya Sanyasi Samaj, an outfit of the monks,” said a source in the VHP, one of the wings of the saffron ecosystem.

A source said several wings of the saffron ecosystem and a few BJP leaders might take part in the rally. The rally will start from Bagbazar Mayer Bari to the ancestral home of Swami Vivekananda at Simla Street. The rally will pass through Girish Avenue, Bagbazar Street, Shyambazar Five Point and Bidhan Sarani in the city.

At her Arambagh rally on Saturday, Trinamool Congress chairperson Mamata had accused some monks of working under the influence of BJP leaders in Delhi.

Mamata, however, said on Monday that she was not against any Hindu spiritual-philanthropic organisations but had a problem with one or two individuals therein.

The chief minister particularly named Kartik Maharaj, the secretary of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha’s ashram in Murshidabad’s Aurangabad, and said he had a
bias for the BJP. The fresh charge came on a day Maharaj sent a legal notice to Mamata, accusing her of defamation over remarks she had made at Arambagh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who addressed an election rally in Bengal on Monday accused the chief minister of attacking the monks and alleged that “TMC goons” had raided a building of a Ramakrishna Mission in Siliguri.

“The chief minister is threatening these organisations... This intimidation
emboldens TMC goons further. Recently, vandalism at Ramakrishna Mission Ashram in Jalpaiguri highlights the escalating situation in the state,” Modi told a rally in Jhargram on Monday.

On Tuesday, Mamata said the raid on the Ramakrishna Mission building in Siliguri was not within her knowledge and condemned the incident, claiming that no one from her party was involved in such an act.

“It is not in my knowledge that an issue happened somewhere or an ashram
was recently attacked. I do not support this. No one from our side (Party) is involved. If you can find someone, I give my word that there will be action,” said Mamata at her rally in Basirhat, North 24-Parganas.

On Sunday early morning, around 10 people barged into the building on Sevoke Road
in Siliguri and took away workers and security guards. The attackers later released them.

The incident was attributed to a bid by the land mafia to occupy the building.

On Monday evening, the Siliguri Metropolitan Police sealed the property.

Sources said after the attackers had taken away the workers and the security guards from the property, they brought in some women and children to the premises.

“The police have made all of them leave the place. The property is vacant
and sealed now,” said a source.

On Monday, Mamata also tried to emphasise the state’s communal harmony by quoting Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

“We (Hindus and Muslims) eat fruits from the same tree. We have learned this from Ramakrishna Paramhansa Deva. He had said that water remains water regardless of what it is called. Why should we try to sow divisions between Hindus and Muslims during elections?” asked Mamata.