West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties, including the BJP, expressed mixed opinions to the possibility of Calcutta High Court’s Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay joining politics as he did not rule out such a course while announcing his decision on Sunday to resign from his post.
Rebel Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh, who, as party spokesman, had been most vocal in his criticism against Justice Gangopadhyay over the latter’s verdicts and observations against the West Bengal government, whole-heartedly welcomed the possibility.
“I wish Justice Gangopadhyay a happy new innings. It is better if such people come to politics,” he said.
However, at the same time, he queried whether the judge’s decision will confirm the questions raised about his prior judgements and observations.
However, Trinamool youth leader Debangshu Bhattacharya made a more direct attack on Justice Gangopadhyay over his decision to resign from judicial service, claiming his announcement confirmed Trinamool allegations against him.
State BJP President Sukanta Majumdar expressed hope that considering the judge’s constant battle against corruption in West Bengal, the BJP will be the natural choice. “If people like him join politics, it will benefit the common people of the country,” he said.
State Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that the doors of his party are always open for a person like Justice Gangopadhyay who started a crusade against corruption. “I still hope that he will not tread in any political path that propagates narrowness,” he said.
CPI-M Rajya Sabha member and senior Calcutta High Court advocate Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, who Justice Gangopadhyay himself accepted as his professional mentor during his early days as a lawyer, said that he is still hopeful that the latter will not join the BJP, as per the prevailing rumours.