Kolkata: Bharat Sevashram monk Maharaj Swami Pradipta Nanda, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj, on Monday sent defamation notice to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her recent alleged remark, which he said, has defamed his organisation and him in the eyes of people.
The monk is the secretary of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, attached at Aurangabad in Murshidabad district.
Banerjee in an electioneering on Saturday accused the monk of driving away the TMC agents from a polling booth in the locality, for which the election for Lok Sabha held in the 3rd phase.
“She has accused me of giving calls to drive away Trinamool Congress agents from the polling booths. I have never said such things. I am a monk. I am not associated with any political party. The Chief Minister will never be able to prove her accusations,” Kartik Maharaj told reporters.
“My client denies all the allegations and imputations that have been levelled against him by you vide the said statements and my client puts you to strict proof of all such allegations, innuendos and imputations.
Needless to state that my client has no connection with politics and has not stated anything pertaining to which you have made false accusations against him…It is stated that you have made misleading and malicious statements which has no basis whatsoever and also attempted to paint a picture of my client being involved in politics, which is far from reality,” the legal notice of Maharaj's advocate Anish Kumar Mukherjee said.
The notice demanded an ‘unconditional apology’ from Banerjee within 48 hours for the “innuendo/insinuations and imputation” remarks against the monk.
“I therefore, call upon you to forthwith address the press and issue an unconditional apology and retract your virulent and main fide statement as aforesaid within 48 hours from receipt of the instant notice and cease and desist from making further similar statements against my client, be it on any website, newsprint or television channel defaming and maligning my client.
Such withdrawal and apology should be in terms to be approved by me on my client’s behalf and I call upon you to give your assurance and undertaking in writing that you will not publish similar allegations concerning my client or his organization i.e Bharat Sevashram Sangha,” the notice said.
It further added that if the TMC chief failed to reply to the notice within 4 days, Kartik Maharaj “fully reserves his right” to take further appropriate action including initiation of criminal cases against her.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed the TMC supremo for attacking the ISKCON, Ramakrishna Mission and Bharat Sevasram Sangha and alleged the TMC's outburst happened following pressure from the hardcore " Muslim Kattarpanthi". to appease her vote banks.
