Kolkata: Former Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay joins BJP in the presence of BJP WB President Sukanta Majumdar and Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, at BJP office, in Kolkata, Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: The Congress on Monday attacked former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay over his reported remark that he "cannot choose between Gandhi and Godse" and demanded that his candidature for the Lok Sabha polls from the BJP be withdrawn.
Gangopadhyay, who joined the BJP recently, was among the 19 candidates whose names were announced by the BJP on Sunday for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "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." "This is totally unacceptable and his candidature should be withdrawn forthwith by those who spare no effort to appropriate the Mahatma's legacy," Ramesh asserted.
"What will the Father of the Do-nation do to protect the Father of the Nation?" he said.
Speaking with AajTak Bangla, Gangopadhyay, was quoted as saying that he "cannot choose between (Mahatma) Gandhi and (Naturam) Godse" and said he felt compelled to delve into the reasoning behind Godse's actions.
"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," he was quoted as saying.
While Gangopadhyay condemned Mahatma Gandhi's murder, he underscored the "necessity of examining all facets of historical events".