A complaint has been lodged against BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ananta Maharaj for allegedly assaulting a monk in north Bengal's Cooch Behar district.
The incident took place on Sunday when Maharaj, also known as Nagendra Roy, visited Ramkrishna Vivekananda Seva Ashram in Sitai block of the district, according to a report in The Indian Express.
Tension had gripped Cooch Behar following the incident with the locals demanding Maharaj's arrest while blocking a road and burning tyres.
The report said that Roy and those accompanying him physically assaulted Vigyananda Tirtha, the seer of the ashram, following an altercation.
According to Vigyanananda, Maharaj’s aides pushed residents of the ashram and other monks before leaving the venue. “He not only misbehaved with me, but his aides manhandled some of the residents here and abused me,” Vigyanananda told reporters.
The MP said he had gone to Ramakrishna Vivekananda Seva Ashram on Sunday. When he asked the ashram's seer about his name and educational qualifications, there was an argument.
“While visiting the ashram, I asked the seer about his name, identity, and educational qualifications, but he refused to answer in anger, though there was no physical confrontation. After I left, he misled some locals and blocked the path. There was no incident involving my aides mistreating him or anyone at the ashram. These allegations are completely unfounded,” Maharaj told reporters.
The ashram authorities, meanwhile, lodged a police complaint on Monday. The authorities said that they were looking into the matter.
Trinamool Congress leader and Bengal minister Udayan Guha condemned the incident and asked the police to take appropriate action.
Meanwhile, local BJP MLA Sukumar Ray condemned the incident and said he would inquire about it. “We don’t support any form of attacks or abuse of monks. We respect them for their selfless service towards the betterment of society. We will inquire about it,” he said.