The Narendra Modi government naming Hindu monk Kartik Maharaj as a recipient of the Padma Shri has sparked a controversy with the Trinamul’s Kunal Ghosh questioning the decision.
Kartik Maharaj or Swami Pradiptananda of the Bharat Sevasharm Sangha’s Beldanga ashram is among the nine Padma Shri awardees from Bengal this year, including singer Arijit Singh and actress Mamata Shankar.
“With this one awardee the BJP has made clear the country’s list of awards is a part of their agenda. This one nomination has raised a question mark on the other recipients as well,” said Ghosh, a spokesperson for Bengal’s ruling party.
“Kartik Maharaj is not a Hindutva icon. Even Mamta Kulkarni has become a monk now,” Ghosh added.
During last year’s Lok Sabha election campaign, Trinamul supremo and Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had accused Kartik Maharaj of interfering in the poll process.
“There is one person, his name is Kartik Maharaj. I have information. In the name of preaching, he is campaigning for the BJP. You are free to work for the BJP but please use their badge. Why do you have to hide it?” Mamata had asked in poll rallies, where she also criticised the Ramakrishna Mission.
The statement had triggered a response from Prime Minister Narendra Modi who described the statement as an attack on Hindu religious leaders and institutions.
"The TMC, which has intimidated and threatened the people of Bengal during elections, has crossed all limits this time. Today, in the country and the world, ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevashram Sangh are known for service and morality, but the chief minister of Bengal is openly threatening them from an open platform...They are threatening them just to appease their vote bank," Modi had said in a rally.
The counter attack by the BJP did little for the party in the Lok Sabha polls where it managed only 12 of the 42 seats.
Bengal’s Leader of Opposition, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, defended the Centre’s decision.
“He is not just a Hindu spiritual leader. He runs 13 schools. In areas where the state’s health infrastructure does not reach, he has set up hospitals,” Adhikari said.
