West Bengal CM Mamata criticises PM Modi for using 'Swami' prefix in message on Sri Ramakrishna's birth anniversary

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for using the word 'Swami' as prefix in a social media post on Ramakrishna Paramahamsa's birth anniversary, alleging that the PM displayed "cultural insensitivity to great figures" of the state.

Banerjee said the Prime Minister used the prefix 'Swami' in the message while Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is widely known as 'Thakur'.

"Shocked again! Yet again, our Prime Minister aggressively displays his cultural insensitivity to great figures of Bengal. Today is the janmatithi of Yugavatara (God's incarnation in our age) Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadeva.

"While trying to hail the great saint on this occasion, our PM added an unprecedented and improper prefix to the great saint's name, “Swami”!" Banerjee posted on X.

Modi on Thursday paid tributes to Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa on his birth anniversary, and said his noble thoughts will forever remain a source of inspiration.

Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was born in 1836.

"Humble tributes to Swami Ramakrishna Paramahansa on his birth anniversary.The way he established spirituality and meditation as a vital life force will continue to benefit humanity in every era. His noble thoughts and messages will forever remain a source of inspiration," Modi said in a post on X in Hindi.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, who served as a priest in Kolkata's Dakshineswar Kali Temple, is known for his teachings on the harmony of religions.

"As is well known, Sri Ramakrishna was widely revered as Thakur (literally, God). While his ascetic disciples constituted the Ramakrishna Math and the Ramakrishna Mission after their Master's demise, and those monks were then called “Swami” as per Indian traditions, the Master, the Acharya, himself continued to be referred to as Thakur," Banerjee said.

She said the prefix “Swami” was meant for "his disciples in the Ramakrishna Order; but the holy trinity of the Order remained Thakur–Ma–Swamiji. Thakur is Sri Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsadeva, Ma is Ma Sarada, and Swamiji is Swami Vivekananda".

Banerjee urged the Prime Minister "kindly not to discover new prefixes and suffixes for the great Renaissance figures of Bengal who shaped modern India".

She had earlier criticised the PM over his reference to Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay as "Bankim da" during a discussion in Lok Sabha in December last year to commemorate 150 years of the national song, Vande Mataram, written by the author.

TMC MP Saugata Roy had objected to the use of the suffix 'da' and urged the PM to say 'Bankim babu' instead.

Modi had immediately accepted, saying, "I will say Bankim 'babu'. Thank you, I respect your sentiments."