Swami Pradiptananda, widely known as Kartik Maharaj, is a hardline Hindutva monk and the head of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha’s branch in Beldanga, Murshidabad. He has been a vocal advocate of militant Hindu supremacy for more than a decade and shares close ties with the RSS and VHP. 

Kartik Maharaj has repeatedly delivered speeches urging Hindus to arm themselves, glorifying violence as dharma, and mocking non-violence. In a 2016 speech, he said, “If anybody insults our dharma, we should eliminate that person, that is the call of dharma.” In another, he declared, “Say no to cohabitation or coexistence now… Asurs will have to be fought with weapons.” 

On June 18, 2025, at an event in Barrackpore, he once again raised the bogey of “love jihad,” claiming Muslim men use Hindu names to deceive women. He is openly political, appearing at BJP rallies, and was one of the organisers of the ‘Ek Lakh Kanthe Gita Path’ ahead of the Ram temple consecration. 

He has attacked Gandhi, saying it’s India’s “misfortune” to call him the Father of the Nation, and pushed for Hindus to worship only warrior gods like Chakradhari Krishna. Though awarded the Padma Shri in January 2025, his selection drew sharp backlash from TMC, Congress, and CPM, who accused the BJP of using the award to promote divisive figures. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign, publicly accused him of threatening TMC booth agents and inciting riots. Kartik responded with a legal notice and declared, “Politics and religion are synonymous… I will go anywhere in the interest of my religion.” His supporters within the Sangh have painted him as a “beer sanyasi”, a monk of bravery. He has played key roles in RSS-backed events like the Tribeni Kumbh Mela and has led efforts to mobilize Hindu monks under a single Hindutva front.