One ex-judge's rulings brought bad name to Bengal: Mamata Banerjee

Kolkata: Without taking any name, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a scathing attack against the former judge of Calcutta High Court, Abhijit Gangopadhyay, saying that certain judgements by the latter gave the state a bad name nationally.

"Some people often tell me that given certain court judgements passed in West Bengal, not only the people, even tigers will flee from the state. I tell them that there are some people like 'him',” the Chief Minister said at the end of a rally organised by the Trinamool Congress here on Thursday afternoon.

Without naming Gangopadhyay, the Chief Minister also said that the “former judge” unnecessarily targeted the Trinamool when he was the judge.

“As a judge, he gave television interviews. He said a lot of things naming Abhishek Banerjee. Finally, he announced his decision to join the BJP. Now, he has been unmasked. In the coming days, he will be judged by the common people,” CM Banerjee said.

Reacting to the Chief Minister’s comments, state BJP spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya accused the Trinamool of attacking the judiciary whenever any judgement goes against the party or the state government.

“There had been instances when slanderous posters were pasted on the walls of a judge's residence. The state government had challenged the orders of Gangopadhyay at higher courts. But in most cases, the higher courts upheld the orders passed by Gangopadhyay,” Bhattacharya said.

Meanwhile, speaking at the rally, CM Banerjee once again referred to the recent controversy relating to the derogatory comments allegedly made by some state BJP leaders in connection with the turban of a Sikh IPS officer in the state.

“For the BJP, all Sikhs are ‘Khalistanis’, all Muslims are ‘Pakistanis’ and everyone in Trinamool is a 'thief',” the Chief Minister said.