Members of the Ramakrishna Mission on Monday expressed displeasure over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "political speech" from the "apolitical" platform of Belur Math - the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission.

A day after PM Modi addressed people in Belur Math on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on Sunday, a member of the institute, Gautam Roy, expressed displeasure, reported The Hindu. The mission member said that it is "deeply hurtful to see controversial political messages being disseminated from the platform of RKM, which is an apolitical body."



"Let me make two things clear. One, RKM has an elaborate and official process of consecration. Mr. Modi has not been officially consecrated and two, he is not allowed to come and make statements which are political in nature. My observation is that the RKM has been deeply politicised over the last years, with induction and promotion of senior spiritual leaders who were associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh [RSS] earlier. Mr Modi’s visit is part of that growing trend of RKM, Roy told The Hindu.

On Sunday, the Ramakrishna Mission had distanced itself from PM Modi's remarks on the CAA, contending that it was a strictly apolitical body, which does not respond to "ephemeral" calls.

PM Modi, during his address from Belur Math, had said that the new law would not take away anybody's citizenship. Modi also said that a section of the youth was being misguided about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Later addressing a press meet in Belur, Swami Suvirananda, the Ramakrishna Math and Mission general secretary, said, "The organisation will not comment on the prime minister's speech on CAA. We are a strictly apolitical body. We have come here after leaving our homes to answer eternal calls. We do not respond to ephemeral calls."

Swami Suvirananda said that the mission believed in inclusivity. "We are an inclusive organization, which has monks from Hindu, Islam and Christian communities. We live like brothers of the same parents. To us, Narendra Modi is the leader of India and Mamata Banerjee the leader of West Bengal," he said.

(With inputs from PTI)