Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay: No further comments on Mamata Banerjee

Chief minister is doing good work, says HC judge

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay: File picture

TT Bureau   |   Calcutta   |   09.12.22  : Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of Calcutta High Court on Thursday praised chief minister Mamata Banerjee for her work and said he would refrain from making any further comments on the way the government was functioning.

“The chief minister is doing good work. Why would I make adverse comments against her?” the judge said in the court. 

“Please inform Chandrimadi (Bhattacharya) that I will not comment any further,” he added while addressing a lawyer for the state government.

Bhattacharya is a member of Mamata’s cabinet and she had recently raised questions on some of the comments of Justice Gangopadhyay while hearing multiple cases related to the alleged unlawful recruitment of teachers and other employees into the education department. 

Recently, the Trinamul Congress had locked horns with the judge over a few comments he had made inside the courtroom. Although none of his statements was part of any ruling, Trinamul leaders alleged that Justice Gangopadhyay was using his authority for future political purposes.

In one instance, he had said that he would ask the Election Commission of India to withdraw Trinamul’s symbol and such a move would create history. Some of the later comments, the ruling party felt, were targeting the top brass of the party and the state administration.

At a news conference, Trinamul spokesman Ghosh had said “Aranyadeb Ganguly” was misusing his chair to build an image for himself for a political career after retirement.

Aranyadeb  (god of the jungle) is the Bengali name for Phantom, an American adventure comic strip, where the main character is a crime-fighting superhero — with no superpowers — operating from a fictional African country.

Ghosh later made multiple tweets attacking the judge. Referring to Justice Gangopadhyay’s comments that he was aware of the mastermind behind the recruitment scam, Ghosh had suggested that the judge be called by the CBI as a witness. 

On Thursday, Justice Gangopadhyay said he hadn’t meant to hurt anyone with his comments and that neither were his remarks directed at anyone in particular.

Reacting to Ghosh’s repartee, Justice Gangopadhyaysaid he enjoyed the statements made by the Trinamul leader.

“I’m glad that he enjoys my comments, but as a party spokesperson, I will stand up for my party even in the future. We have immense respect for him. But if my party and leaders are attacked, I will react,” Ghosh told The Telegraph reacting to the judges comment.

“This was nothing personal. He is doing his job and issuing orders. We respect that,” he said.