Today (7th March): Addressing allegations of political bias, Gangopadhyay clarified, “My duty as a judge was to address corruption unequivocally, directing such matters to be thoroughly investigated by the appropriate agencies without any party favoritism.”
KOLKATA: Today (7 March): Abhijit Gangopadhyay, a former judge at the Calcutta High Court, announced his resignation from the judiciary on Tuesday, only to soon declare his new political endeavors with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This move has ignited a wave of controversy and criticism, especially from the Trinamool Congress, the reigning party in West Bengal, which has raised questions about his previous impartiality on the bench.
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Gangopadhyay elaborated on the motivations behind his transition into politics and responded to the criticisms facing him. Emphasizing his judicial integrity, he stated,
“Throughout my tenure as a judge, I steered clear of politics, ensuring that my judgments were never influenced by political biases but were based solely on the facts presented to me.”
Addressing allegations of political bias, Gangopadhyay clarified,
“My duty as a judge was to address corruption unequivocally, directing such matters to be thoroughly investigated by the appropriate agencies without any party favoritism.” This statement comes in light of his numerous confrontations with Trinamool Congress leaders during his tenure.
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Gangopadhyay stated,
“There’s no issue of moral impropriety since I’ve never engaged in political activities while serving as a judge. My judgments and orders were never influenced by politics; they were always grounded in the facts presented to me.”
Gangopadhyay further explained,
“When a case of significant corruption is exposed in front of a judge, the correct course of action is to ensure a thorough investigation by the relevant authorities. That’s the approach I’ve taken, without favoring any political party.”
Gangopadhyay, who experienced multiple conflicts with leaders from the Trinamool Congress, questioned,
“I wonder why the state of West Bengal disputed every order I issued, never once suggesting I was biased or making political decisions. Such concerns were never brought up in front of the Appellate Court or the Supreme Court. It seems they are now voicing these doubts merely to divert public attention away from issues of corruption.”
Gangopadhyay mentioned,
“I had planned to retire in the coming five months, but given the challenges and invitations to enter politics, I questioned why I shouldn’t make the move sooner.”
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When questioned about his shift from being a judge to entering politics, Gangopadhyay shared,
“During a seven-day leave, the BJP made contact with me via mutual friends, and I reached out to them similarly. After our initial conversation, I made up my mind to resign. This decision followed 3–4 days of dialogue and took another 3–4 days to finalize.”
