ISKCON removes Radharaman Das from all Kolkata branch positions
Synopsis
ISKCON's public face in Kolkata has been silenced by the organisation itself — and he broke the news on X before anyone else could. Radharaman Das, the former Vice-President who took on Maneka Gandhi, championed Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu's cause, and weighed in on Bangladesh's Hindu persecution, has been placed on compulsory leave for acting 'unilaterally in contravention to ISKCON's official stand.'
Key Takeaways
ISKCON relieved Radharaman Das of all organisational positions on 29 June 2025 , placing him on compulsory leave.
Das has been directed not to represent or speak on behalf of ISKCON before media, government authorities, or any public forum.
Cited reasons include unilateral media appearances on Bangladesh Hindu persecution, support for jailed monk Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu , and a Republic TV interview on 29 May 2026 .
Das himself disclosed his removal via a post on social media platform X , stating he will abide by the directions.
The action follows a controversy over ISKCON Kolkata 's mid-day meal contract with the BJP government in West Bengal and Das's public statements on vegetarian protein content.
ISKCON operates across 100 countries and said corrective measures were implemented after 'multiple requests over the years.'
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Sunday, 29 June 2025 formally relieved Radharaman Das, former Vice-President and spokesperson of its Kolkata branch, of all organisational responsibilities and placed him on compulsory leave of absence. The organisation simultaneously directed him to cease representing or speaking on behalf of ISKCON before the media, government authorities, or any public forum.
What ISKCON Said
Ananta Bhagavan Das, Legal and Communications Director of ISKCON Kolkata, issued the formal statement: 'We wish to inform well-wishers, devotees, all members of the media and the general public that Radharaman Das has been sent on compulsory leave of absence within ISKCON and has also been directed not to represent or speak on behalf of ISKCON before the media, government authorities, or any public forum.'
The statement went further, citing systemic reasons for the action: 'After multiple requests made to him over the years, ISKCON implemented the corrective measures by sending him on a leave of absence for not following its procedures, acting unilaterally in contravention to ISKCON official stand and interfering in areas beyond his jurisdiction wherein certain actions put the safety and wellbeing of members at risk in different parts of the world.'
Why He Was Removed
According to the communication conveyed to Radharaman Das himself, the specific triggers for his removal included: speaking publicly and giving media interviews on the persecution of Hindus and devotees in Bangladesh; supporting and publicly speaking in relation to Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, an ISKCON monk currently held in a Dhaka jail; issuing a legal notice to Maneka Gandhi over her public allegations that ISKCON sells cows to butchers; filing a cyber complaint against comedian Surleen Kaur over remarks against ISKCON; making public statements defending Sanatana Dharma; sharing a social media post on Donald Trump's association with the 1976 New York Rathayatra; and appearing in a Republic TV interview on 29 May 2026.
Das described the Republic TV appearance as the 'last nail' in the sequence of actions that led to his removal.
Das Discloses His Own Removal on X
While ISKCON conveyed the decision directly to Das to enforce internal discipline, the former Vice-President chose to disclose the details publicly through a post on social media platform X. 'I wish to inform well-wishers, devotees, all members of the media and the general public that I have been relieved of all my responsibilities within ISKCON and have also been directed not to represent or speak on behalf of ISKCON before the media, government authorities, or any public forum,' he wrote.
Despite the action, Das stated he respects the decision and will abide by the directions. 'Accordingly, I shall not be interacting with the media or making any further public statements on these matters on behalf of ISKCON,' he added.
The Mid-Day Meal Controversy in the Background
The removal comes against the backdrop of a recent controversy involving ISKCON Kolkata and the West Bengal government's mid-day meal programme. The current Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state had engaged ISKCON to supply cooked mid-day meals in state-run and state-aided schools within Kolkata Municipal Corporation limits. Shortly after the announcement, social media was flooded with posts claiming eggs would be removed from the meal menu.
Das, in his then capacity as Vice-President and spokesman, had issued a social media statement urging people not to be misled, attaching examples of posts he described as 'imaginary and totally misleading.' He clarified that no such menu had been finalised or issued by ISKCON.
On Saturday, a day before his removal, Das posted on social media in favour of high-protein vegetarian food items, arguing that vegetarians in several Indian states record higher protein intake than non-vegetarians, and listing comparative protein values for soya chunks, paneer, rajma, and eggs. His removal was announced the following day.
What Happens Next
ISKCON has indicated this is a corrective measure and has 'encouraged him to reflect and correct his course of action,' leaving open the possibility of reinstatement. The organisation, which operates across 100 countries, has underscored that its internal standards apply uniformly to all members. How the episode affects ISKCON Kolkata's ongoing mid-day meal contract with the West Bengal government remains to be seen.
Point of View
Given the BJP government connection in West Bengal. Whether this is a permanent severance or a disciplinary pause will signal how ISKCON balances its global institutional caution against the increasingly vocal Hindu advocacy role some of its Indian branches have assumed.
NationPress
29 Jun 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Radharaman Das removed from ISKCON Kolkata?
Radharaman Das was placed on compulsory leave of absence for acting unilaterally against ISKCON's official positions, including giving media interviews on the persecution of Hindus in Bangladesh, supporting jailed monk Chinmoy Krishna Prabhu, issuing a legal notice to Maneka Gandhi, and appearing on Republic TV on 29 May 2026. ISKCON said corrective measures were implemented after multiple requests to him over the years went unheeded.
What did Radharaman Das say about his removal?
Das disclosed his own removal via a post on social media platform X, stating he had been relieved of all responsibilities and directed not to speak on behalf of ISKCON. He said he respects the decision and will abide by the directions, and requested media organisations not to seek comments or interviews from him.
Who is Radharaman Das?
Radharaman Das was the Vice-President and spokesperson of ISKCON's Kolkata branch, one of the organisation's most prominent Indian chapters. He was a frequent media commentator on issues relating to Hinduism, ISKCON's activities, and religious freedom, particularly regarding events in Bangladesh.
What is the connection between ISKCON Kolkata and the West Bengal mid-day meal controversy?
The BJP government in West Bengal recently engaged ISKCON Kolkata to supply cooked mid-day meals to students in schools under the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Social media posts falsely claimed eggs would be removed from the menu, prompting Das — then still Vice-President — to publicly debunk those claims. His subsequent social media post on vegetarian protein content, posted the day before his removal, added to the controversy.
Can Radharaman Das be reinstated in ISKCON?
ISKCON's statement described the action as a corrective measure and said the organisation has 'encouraged him to reflect and correct his course of action,' leaving open the possibility of reinstatement. No timeline or conditions for reinstatement have been publicly disclosed.
