ISKCON removes Radharaman Das from Kolkata VC post over Bangladesh and political row

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has relieved Radharaman Das of all his official responsibilities within the organization, effectively bringing an immediate end to his tenure as the Vice-President of ISKCON Kolkata. The organizational decision, which was formally communicated on Saturday night, strips Das of his administrative powers and explicitly bars him from representing ISKCON before the media, government authorities, or any public platform. Das confirmed the development through a detailed statement on the social media platform X, acknowledging that he will no longer speak on behalf of the global socio-religious body.

According to Das, the institutional action taken against him is primarily tied to his outspoken public commentary. The organization specifically cited his unauthorized media interactions regarding the alleged systemic persecution of Hindus and ISKCON devotees in Bangladesh. This included his vocal public support for Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, a figure entangled in deep regional controversy. ISKCON leadership reportedly viewed Das's intense geopolitical commentary as a breach of internal discipline, prompting them to draw boundaries between individual activism and official organizational stances.

Beyond the ongoing crisis in Bangladesh, Das disclosed to the media that his sudden ouster might also be the delayed fallout of a massive legal feud involving BJP MP Maneka Gandhi. In 2023, Gandhi publicly labeled ISKCON as "the biggest fraud" in India, accusing them of gross irregularities in cow protection. In a highly publicized retaliatory move, Das had slapped Gandhi with a massive ₹100-crore defamation notice. Das believes that this aggressive, independent legal offensive against a prominent political figure, combined with his recent unvetted statements on international affairs, created irreconcilable friction with ISKCON's senior hierarchy.