New Delhi: Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Monday lashed out at Abhijit Gangopadhyay, a former judge of the Calcutta High Court and now Bharatiya Janata Party's Lok Sabha election candidate, over his recent remarks on Mahatma Gandhi and Nathuram Godse.
"It is worse than pathetic that a judge of the Calcutta High Court, who resigned to contest the Lok Sabha polls as a BJP candidate blessed by none other than the Prime Minister, now says that he cannot choose between Gandhi and Godse," the Congress leader slammed.
"This is totally unacceptable, and his candidature should be withdrawn forthwith by those who spare no effort to appropriate the Mahatma's legacy. What will the Father of the Do-nation do to protect the Father of the Nation?" Jairam Ramesh posted on X.
Gangopadhyay, who has been named as the BJP candidate days after resigning as a Calcutta high court judge, recently told a Bengali channel that he cannot 'choose between Gandhi and Godse'.
The jurist-turned-politician said he must read the book written by Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse, elaborating on the reasons that provoked him to assassinate the Father of the Nation.
"As someone from the legal profession, I must try and understand the other side of the story. I must read his (Nathuram Godse) writings and understand what triggered him to kill Mahatma Gandhi. Until then, I cannot choose between Gandhi and Godse". Gangopadhyay, who is contesting against Trinamool Congress candidate Debangshu Bhattacharya in Tamluk, was quoted by a media channel in an interview.
Meanwhile, on Monday, West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim said that questions can be raised about the judgements delivered by those judges who decide to leave the judiciary and enter politics.
"For us, the judiciary is like a god, and if someone from their enters politics, it raises questions about the previous judgements they have made. We want a judge to be impartial. A judge who thinks for society and delivers a judgement without any bias," Firhad Hakim told ANI.
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