Nagen Roy aka Ananta Maharaj, the Rajya Sabha member of the BJP, has been accused of abusing and assaulting a monk who runs an ashram and school in Cooch Behar district.

The ashram authorities have filed a complaint against Roy and his associates with police.

Trinamul leaders have condemned the incident while the parliamentarian has denied the charge.

Sources said that on Sunday, Roy reached the Sitai Ramakrishna Vivekananda Sevashram in Saltibari village of Dinhata subdivision.

“Roy was interacting with Vigyananda Tirtha Maharaj, the ashram’s president and a monk, when he suddenly started abusing the latter. The MP and his associates also assaulted him. The ashram president suffered injuries and is under treatment,” said Swapan Kumar Patwari, the treasurer of the ashram who filed a complaint against Roy and some others with Sitai police on Sunday.

In his complaint, Patowari also mentioned that Roy threatened Vidgyananda, asking him to leave the place or else face dire consequences.

As the news spread, a section of local residents resorted to protests and staged a road blockade on Sunday evening, seeking steps against Roy.

The blockade was withdrawn after police intervened.

On Monday, north Bengal development minister Udayan Guha reached the ashram. He spoke with the monks and assured them of all help. He also announced that an 800-metre-long road near the ashram would be developed by his department.

“I have spoken with police officers and have asked them to take appropriate steps,” said Guha.

Sources said that in 2014, Vigyananda had built the ashram in the village. He also runs schools for boys.

“He runs the ashram and the schools by seeking alms from people. What the MP did on Sunday is unacceptable,” said a villager.

Roy denied the charge and claimed he went to the ashram to offer them aid from his MPLAD fund.

“The monk who spoke to me claimed that before the ashram and the school were set up, people in the area were largely illiterate. I objected to that as I felt it was a wrong claim. He has been there only for 10 years and can't say that before his arrival most people were illiterate,” said Roy. "I neither abused nor assaulted him, those are baseless."