‘Withdraw his candidature: ’ Congress to BJP on Abhijit Gangopadhyay's 'can't choose between Gandhi and Godse' remark

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Abhijit Gangopadhyay over his reported remarks that he "cannot choose between Gandhi and Godse." The party has demanded that former Calcutta High Court judge Gangopadhyay's candidature for the Lok Sabha polls 2024 be withdrawn. Gangopadhyay, , who joined the BJP recently, is contesting against Trinamool Congress leader Debangshu Bhattacharya in West Bengal Tamluk constituency.

He was among 19 candidates whose names were announced by the BJP in the fifth list of candidates last week for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in West Bengal. "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," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X.

Also Read : Abhijit Gangopadhyay to join BJP. A look at the former Calcutta High Court judge's controversies "This is totally unacceptable and his candidature should be withdrawn forthwith by those who spare no effort to appropriate the Mahatma's legacy," Ramesh said adding ,"What will the Father of the Do-nation do to protect the Father of the Nation?" he said.

On 30 January 1948, Godse shot Mahatma Gandhi in the chest three times at point blank range at a multi-faith prayer meeting in Birla House in New Delhi. Gangopadhyay, was heard saying to a TV channel that he "cannot choose between (Mahatma) Gandhi and (Naturam) Godse." Speaking in Bengali, the BJP leader said that he was 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