Kolkata, Jul 1 (IANS): Despite being censured by his own party leadership and criticism from seers, Trinamool Congress legislator, Nirmal Maji is sticking to his stand that West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee is the incarnation of Maa Sarada, the wife and spiritual consort of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.

On Thursday, Swami Subirananda, general secretary of Belur Math, the global headquarter of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, issued a video message challenging Maji's recent public statement that Maa Sarada told some of Swamiji's followers that when she will be reborn, she will be reborn in Kalighat near the famous Kali Temple.

He also said that there is no authentic or documented evidence of Maa Sarada making such claims during her lifetime.

However, that rejoinder on behalf of Belur Math or the censure by a section of Trinamool leadership could not prompt Maji to withdraw from his stand. He stuck to it with a different logic on Friday.

According to him, a spiritual guru based out of south India told him that the soul of Maa Sarada prevails in Chief Minister Banerjee.

"I trust that religious leader. This is not a myth. This is the realisation of that religious guru. I have not witnessed Maa Sarada and so has not the person from Belur Math who has issued the statement," Maji said.

However, he refused to name that religious guru and said that he would not like to cause further controversy.

"For me, Mamata Banerjee is a culmination of Maa Sarada, Mother Teresa, and Sister Nivedita," he added.

Incidentally, the total silence of the Chief Minister herself on this issue has sparked controversy and the opposition leaders are claiming that her silence is her indirect endorsement of the statements by Maji.

State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the Chief Minister's silence speaks a lot and is proof that she is enjoying the comparison drawn by Maji. "Has she not endorsed it, she would have censured Maji publicly and refuted his comments," he said.

Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari said that the Chief Minister "enjoys such words of flattery and her subordinates know that by flattering her they can get away with anything".

"But this time that words of flattery have gone out of proportion," he said.