Former Judge's Political Debut: Greeting Modi Sparks Controversy at Siliguri Rally

Wearing a saffron kurta, the former judge leaned forward and clasped Prime Minister Narendra Modi's outstretched palm firmly with both hands.

At Modi's Siliguri rally on Saturday, Abhijit Gangopadhyay made his first appearance at the speaker's platform during a political event, but what really caught people's attention was how the former high court judge opted to meet the Prime Minister just four days after leaving the judiciary.

Modi came thirty minutes late, thus Gangopadhyay, who had to speak at the rally in the prime minister's absence, was seated behind Modi. Modi held out his hand to Gangopadhyay as soon as he saw him. The former judge got up from his seat and bowed slightly to meet the PM.

Prior to taking off for Siliguri on Saturday morning, Gangopadhyay called for the establishment of President's rule in Bengal.

He added of his meeting with the Prime Minister, "I sought Modiji's blessings."

Just two days into his political career, Gangopadhyay claimed to have received a certificate of courage from Modi and expressed his delight at the BJP's embrace of him.

Trinamul, Bengal's ruling party, which had been Gangopadhyay's ardent opponent since the day his rulings on the purported teacher recruitment scandal embarrassed the Mamata Banerjee administration, picked up the photo showing him bending to greet the prime minister.

Derek O' Brien, a Rajya MP, posted the picture with the caption, "GODSE LOVERS UNITE."

Gangopadhyay's first statement as a BJP leader was essentially an extension of what he had been saying ever before he decided to step down as a judge at the Calcutta High Court and fly the party banner, even if the photo stole the show in Siliguri.

"This (Trinamul) is a criminal organization. The minister of education is behind bars. The minister of food is behind bars. Gangopadhyay declared, pressing people "not to cast a single vote to Trinamul," saying, "They have taken away people's basic rights — food, housing, and clothing."

Trinamul spokesperson Kunal Ghosh commented on Gangopadhyay's remarks at the Siliguri rally, saying, "We always said he (Gangopadhyay) was biased as a judge, and now it is amply clear."

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