'Ramakrishna was Thakur, not swami': Mamata Banerjee slams PM Modi for 'improper prefix' to saint's name

Mamata Banerjee expressed shock over PM Modi's display of 'cultural insensitivity to great figures of Bengal'

• Mamata Banerjee slams PM Modi for calling Ramakrishna "Swami"
• She says "Swami" is a title for Ramakrishna's disciples only
• Ramakrishna is widely revered as "Thakur" in West Bengal

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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged misappropriation in addressing Ramakrishna Paramahamsa by adding an “unprecedented and improper prefix” to his name while paying tributes on his birth anniversary.

Expressing ‘shock’ over PM Modi’s display of ‘cultural insensitivity to great figures of Bengal’, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) president said in a post on X, “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’!”

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… https://t.co/f7GqFkbcHy

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) February 19, 2026

Stating that Sri Ramakrishna is widely revered as ‘Thakur’ (god), Mamata Banerjee said, “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.”

“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,” Mamata Banerjee said in her social media post.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi paid tributes to Ramakrishna Paramahansa on his birth anniversary and said his noble thoughts will forever remain a source of inspiration.

“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,” said PM Modi in a post on X.

स्वामी रामकृष्ण परमहंस जी को उनकी जन्म-जयंती पर आदरपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि। उन्होंने अध्यात्म और साधना को जिस प्रकार जीवनशक्ति के रूप में स्थापित किया, वह हर युग में मानवता का कल्याण करता रहेगा। उनके सुविचार और संदेश सदैव प्रेरणापुंज बने रहेंगे। — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 19, 2026

Ramakrishna Paramahansa was a 19th-century mystic and spiritual teacher. He served as a priest at the Dakshineswar Kali Temple near Kolkata and became one of the most influential spiritual figures of modern India. He is widely referred to as ‘thakur’ or ‘Sri Ramkrishna’ in West Bengal.

His teachings deeply influenced his disciple and one of India’s greatest modern thinkers Swami Vivekananda, who later founded the Ramakrishna Mission.