Union Home Minister Amit Shah addresses the gathering during the 152nd birth anniversary celebrations of Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakur Ji in Nadia, West Bengal, on February 18, 2026.
| Photo Credit: PTI
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) visited Mayapur in West Bengal, the headquarters of The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), and lauded the work of the organisation in Sanatan Dharma across the world as well as in popularising the Hindu religious text, the Bhagavad Gita.
“Not only have they strengthened the Bhakti movement as well as our traditions and popularised our scriptures, ISKCON has done commendable work in the area of service. In every natural disaster we see the camps of ISKCON are the first to come up,” the Home Minister said.
Mr. Shah said he had a word with Prime Minister Narendra Modi before coming to Mayapur, and he had sent his Hare Krishna greetings to everyone.
The Home Minister said that among the many achievements of ISKCON was that they had translated the Gita into several languages.
“I have visited every State of the country many times as the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party and as the Home Minister of the country. Every State has different languages, and many States have different languages. But I have got the Gita in every language, and it is printed only through ISKCON,” he said.
Mr. Shah was in the temple town of Nadia district on the occasion of the 152nd birth anniversary of Srila Bhakti Siddhant Saraswati Thakur Maharaj (Srila Prabhupada) and said he was participating in the event not as the Home Minister but as a devotee.
“One of Bhaktisiddhanta’s greatest contributions was preparing a disciple like Bhaktivedanta Prabhupada. The globally spread ISKCON movement today is the result of the life’s work of both these great souls,” he said.
The Home Minister expressed the hope that Lord Narasimha would bless all the countrymen and “by 2047 we will be successful in spreading the message of developed India and Sanatan Dharma to the whole world”.
The Home Minister’s visit comes months ahead of the Assembly polls in the State. While senior leaders of the West Bengal BJP were present with Mr. Shah on the dais, he refrained from making any political comment. The BJP leadership is reaching out to its core vote through several Rath Yatras in the State ahead of the Assembly polls. Nine Rath Yatras by the BJP will commence in the State in the first week of March 2026.
Published – February 18, 2026 05:38 pm IST
