This is an archive article published on June 29, 2024
With CJI in attendance, Mamata calls for ‘absolutely pure’ judiciary: ‘Please see, it is free of political bias’
Earlier, the chief minister had criticised the Calcutta High Court order cancelling all appointments made through a 2016 teacher recruitment test. She had then alleged that BJP leaders were influencing a section of the judiciary.
4 min readKolkataUpdated: Jun 30, 2024 03:47 AM IST
During the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections, Banerjee had criticised the Calcutta High Court order cancelling all appointments made through a 2016 teacher recruitment test. She had then argued that BJP leaders were influencing a section of the judiciary. (Express photo)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday called for an “absolutely pure and honest” judiciary, which is “free of political biases”.
Speaking at the inauguration of the East Zone-II Regional Conference of National Judicial Academy in Kolkata, which was attended by Chief Justice of India D Y Chandrachud and Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court T S Sivagnanam, the chief minister said: “…I want to apologise to mention this. It is not my intention to humiliate… anyone. But my kind submission is please see to it that there is no political bias in the judiciary. Judiciary must be pure, absolutely pure, sacred and honest. Let people worship it.”
The judiciary is an important temple for people and the supreme authority for delivering justice, Banerjee said. “It is like a mandir, masjid, gurudwara and girja (church). The judiciary is of the people, by the people and for the people… and the last frontier for getting justice and upholding constitutional rights,” she added.
Earlier, the chief minister had criticised the Calcutta High Court order cancelling all appointments made through a 2016 teacher recruitment test. She had then alleged that BJP leaders were influencing a section of the judiciary.
“I will not name any judge, but I am talking about the verdict. If you had pointed out the mistakes and directed us to correct them, we could have easily done that,” she had said. After Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court, who had ordered probes by central agencies into alleged irregularities in government recruitments in the state, quit judicial service to join the BJP and contested the Lok Sabha elections, the chief minister during campaigning had said: “The youths will not forgive you. All your judgments are under question. I can’t speak about justice, but I can comment on judgments.”
“From the very first day, we were saying that this man sitting on the (High Court) bench does not want people getting jobs. It is now clear… Every day, he gave lectures, gave interviews to TV channels. Now, the mask has come off and the real face has been exposed. He is now a BJP babu,” she had said.
Gangopadhyay went on to win the Lok Sabha election from Tamluk as a BJP MP. Meanwhile, hailing CJI Chandrachud for initiating digitisation and e-laws in courts, the chief minister on Saturday asserted that West Bengal is “number one among all states in e-governance”.
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The chief minister said her government has spent Rs 1,000 crore for development of judicial infrastructure in the state, and provided land for a new high court complex in Rajarhat New Town.
Banerjee also criticised the Central government for not releasing funds to the state for the fast-track courts. “We have 88 fast-track courts in the state. Earlier, the Government of India used to provide financial assistance for the fast-track courts. But 7 to 8 years ago, they withdrew all these facilities. We are the only state running all the 88 fast-track courts, out of which 55 are for women. There are six POCSO courts as well,” the chief minister said.
Alleging that people from the northeast and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, from where judges and judicial officers are participating in the conference, are “neglected”, she urged that they be given bigger opportunities.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
