Kolkata: Miscreants have vandalised premises of the Ramakrishna Mission in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district and threatened monks and other employees at gunpoint to leave the place, an RKM official said Monday.
The official said that a local land mafia was behind the early Sunday morning incident.
"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,” the RKM official told PTI.
They then vandalized the premises, breaking CCTV cameras and locking the main gate before leaving, he said.
Police later broke the locks and rescued the monks and staff who were stranded in the open after the attackers left.
"It was a matter of property dispute and our monks have already lodged a complaint at Bhaktinagar police station against a local tough and some of his associates. We have named him in the complaint,” the RKM official said.
The police have initiated a probe and promised security to them, the official said.
"We have full faith in the police and administration,” he added.
Condemning the attack on Ramakrishna Mission ashram in Jalpaiguri, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday accused the TMC regime of letting loose a reign of terror on monks just to appease vote bank politics.
"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,” Modi said while addressing an election rally at Jhargram in the state.
Banerjee, however, denied that she threatened any institution.
Addressing a public meeting in Bankura's Onda on Monday, Banerjee said, "I am not against Ramakrishna Mission. Why should I be against an institution or insult it? I have spoken about one or two persons.” The chief minister also praised Bharat Sevashram Sangha as an organisation, saying that it works for the people.
Published 20 May 2024, 15:38 IST