Unrest grips Sitai after BJP MP Anant Maharaj ‘assaults’ Ram Krishna Seva Ashram president

Cooch Behar: Anant Maharaj (Nagen Roy), BJP Rajya Sabha MP and prominent leader of Greater Cooch Behar, has been accused of verbally and physically assaulting Vigyanand Tirtha Maharaja, president of Ram Krishna Seva Ashram, during an incident that occurred on Sunday night in the Sitai Assembly Constituency.

Witnesses report that Anant Maharaj allegedly behaved indecently towards the president and assaulted him, prompting local residents to protest by burning tires and blocking roads in response to the incident. This unrest drew significant attention in the area.

Upon receiving news of the disturbance, Dinhata subdivision police, along with officers from Sitai Police Station, arrived at the scene to restore order. Anant Maharaj has publicly denied the allegations, labelling them as false.

In response to the incident, North Bengal Development Department Minister Udayan Guha criticized Anant Maharaj, stating: “He is an illiterate person without any qualifications. He has declared himself a Maharaja. When he visits Sitai, he encounters another Maharaja and this is the result. I condemn this incident.”

The incident reportedly occurred during Anant Maharaj’s visit to the Ram Krishna Seva Ashram. According to Pradeep Saha, a member of the ashram: “Anant Maharaj suddenly arrived here, insulted our Maharaj and verbally abused him. In protest, we blocked the road, demanding accountability for his actions.”

Regarding the allegations, Anant Maharaj claimed, “The accusations against me are completely false. I visited the ashram with the intention of providing funds from my MP fund, having learned that the ashram was allegedly making children beg. However, I was insulted by the members there.”