Sanjay Raut questions Calcutta high court judge who announced entry in politics
Justice Gangopadhyay on Sunday said that he will resign as the judge and join politics.
Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Monday attacked Calcutta high court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay for his announcement that he will join politics, saying he was working for a party and not delivering justice.
"If sitting judges of the High Court and Supreme Court resign and join a particular political party, it means they were not delivering justice, but working for the party," Sanjay Raut said.
Justice Gangopadhyay on Sunday said that he will resign as the judge and join politics.
"I am going to resign from the post of a judge in High Court, Calcutta. For the last two or more years I have been dealing with some matters, especially education matters, regarding which a huge corruption has been discovered and unearthed. A large number of important persons in the education sector of this government are now languishing in jail, under trial. Thereafter, now I am taking labour matters. There are also large scams of employers concerning provident fund gratuity, etc. I have also passed certain orders in those respects. But what I have failed while doing these matters of labour matters, labour legislation, that I have felt that my job in this duty is over. This is the call of my conscience," he told ANI.
"Now I should go to a larger area," he added.
Also read: Calcutta HC judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay to resign on Tuesday, says will join politics
He hinted at joining politics.
"So I have thought that only the political field can give people who want to take steps in respect of those helpless people a chance to act for them," he added.
Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay declined to reveal which party he will join. However, sources told Hindustan Times that he will likely join the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The judge is set to retire in July.
He had joined the high court as an additional judge in 2018 and became permanent in 2020.
Justice Gangopadhyay vs Trinamool Congress
Justice Gangopadhyay said on Sunday that he was insulted by "people in the ruling party".
He said the ruling party "brought me here today".
"Some men in black coats (apparently pointing at lawyers) acted like agents and targeted me. I have finally made up my mind. The ruling party has brought me here today. I congratulate them," he said.
The judge had passed several orders questioning the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal. In May 2022, justice Gangopadhyay ordered a CBI probe into the teachers' recruitment scam.
In 2023, he ordered CBI to probe a suspected recruitment scam in civic bodies across Bengal.
On January 8 this year, the judge told the media outside court that the source of Abhishek Banerjee’s properties should be probed.
“Can Abhishek Banerjee file an affidavit with details of his income and assets?” the judge told the same news channel.
On January 9, TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dared him to join politics and contest against Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee in the Lok Sabha elections.
With inputs from ANI