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Mamata Banerjee's message to former HC judge who joined BJP and a challenge

Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who resigned as a judge of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday morning, joined the BJP on Thursday.

Published on: Mar 7, 2024, 17:33:46 IST
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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday criticised former Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hours ago.

Former Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. (PTI)
Former Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. (PTI)

"We will ensure your defeat no matter from where you contest in the Lok Sabha polls," Banerjee said an apparent reference to the former judge, according to PTI.

The Trinamool Congress chief also accused Gangopadhyay of “taking away jobs of thousands of youths” through his judgements.

"The youths will not forgive you. All your judgments are under question. We will ensure your defeat," Mamata Banerjee alleged, reported PTI.

Gangopadhyay, who resigned as a judge of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday morning, joined the BJP on Thursday.

He was given a grand welcome at the BJP office in Salt Lake, as state party president Sukanta Majumdar handed him the party flag, according to ANI.

Also Read | TMC will not last till 2026, says ex-Calcutta HC judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay

"Today, I have joined a new field. I am happy to join the BJP and will work as a party soldier. Our objective is to oust the corrupt TMC regime from the state," Gangopadhyay said after joining the BJP.

He also spoke on the Sandeshkhali incident, where women have accused TMC leaders of sexually abusing them.

“It is a very bad incident. The state leaders have gone there. They have been prevented from reaching there. Despite that, they have reached and stood beside the women there and BJP is taking up the cause of oppressed people in Sandeskhali,” the former high court judge said, reported ANI.

Welcoming him into the party fold, Sukanta Majumdar said that Gangopadhyay as high court judge worked for deprived, exploited victims of Bengal.

"As a State President of BJP I welcome former Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay to our party, to the family of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I believe the way he has worked as a Justice for deprived, exploited victims of Bengal, he will carry forward that work with the leadership of the BJP".

"In the coming future, Bengal's politics will take a turn. This is the right time for the educated youth of Bengal to come forward and contribute to turning the politics of the state for good," he added.

Who is Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay?

A high court judge since 2018, Justice Gangopadhyay is known for his rulings which triggered controversies.

According to reports, Justice Gangopadhyay was born in Kolkata in 1962. He attended Mitra Institution, a Bengali medium school in south Kolkata.

After completing his graduation from Hazra Law College in Kolkata, Justice Gangopadhyay started his career in Uttar Dinajpur district, wherein he worked as a West Bengal Civil Service Grade A officer. He later quit as a civil service and began practising as a state lawyer in the Calcutta high court.

Justice Gangopadhyay was elevated to the post of additional judge in 2018 and became a permanent judge two years later.

As a high court judge, Justice Gangopadhyay sparked a major controversy last April by giving an interview to a TV channel. The then judge was hearing a case related to the ‘school jobs for cash scam’.

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