Abhijit Gangopadhyay says ‘can’t choose between Gandhi and Godse’, draws flak
Kolkata: The former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who recently joined the BJP, drew flak from Trinamool Congress (TMC) after he is learnt to have said that he “cannot choose between Gandhi and Godse” and feels compelled to delve into the reasoning behind Godse’s (Nathuram Godse) actions.
Speaking to AajTak Bangla, India Today’s sister channel, Gangopadhyay said: “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 him to kill Mahatma Gandhi. Until then, I cannot choose between Gandhi and Godse.”
The former judge who joined BJP earlier this month said: “Godse had written a book (elaborating his reasons), which is available in Bengali as well. But, I think it is banned and not available any more. I must read that book to understand what inspired Godse to kill Gandhi.”
However, Gangopadhyay condemned Mahatma Gandhi’s murder but underscored the “necessity of examining all facets of historical events”. ““Killing someone is, of course, wrong, but I have heard Godse has cited some 75–80 reasons for his action,” he said.
He reasoned: “Gandhi was murdered and Godse was the murderer. There is no way one can choose between the two. It is pointless comparing them. Ideally, you can compare Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Gandhi and BR Ambedkar. You cannot compare a litre of kerosene with a metre of cloth,”.
His statements drew flak from Trinamool Congress in Bengal, which accused him of aligning with the murderer of the Father of the Nation.
The party, on social media, called him “shameless Godse sympathiser” and criticised his hesitation to take a clear stance in the Gandhi versus
Godse debate.
“Shameless Godse sympathiser (In)Justice Gangopadhyay caught off-guard when asked to take a side in the age-old Gandhi vs Godse debate,” Trinamool wrote on X, sharing a clip of the interview.
“Mahatma Gandhi is the father of our Nation and it shouldn’t take an Indian so much time to decide whether they like him or not. If they don’t then it would mean that they’re sympathising with an anti-national element Nathuram Godse, who not only killed Bapu but also hurt the collective soul of India,” the party said. TMC alleged that Gangopadhyay is in “deep trenches of saffronisation and Godse sympathisers like him should not have any place in our society”.
