A K Ganguly quits, but says grounds for his removal ‘untenable’

A copy of A K Ganguly’s resignation letter. PTI

A day after he met West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan, retired Supreme Court Judge A K Ganguly confirmed on Tuesday that he had resigned as chairman of the West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC) “to obviate any further controversy”, while maintaining that the grounds on which the Centre made a recommendation against him to the President were “untenable” and “misconceived”.
“I would like to affirmatively say that the allegations which are appearing against me in the media, both electronic and print, are unfounded and baseless and I deny the same. The purported recommendation to the Hon’ble President for my removal are based on grounds, which in my opinion, are untenable and misconstrued,” Ganguly said in his resignation letter to the Governor dated January 6.
“However, to obviate any further controversy and to ensure peace and happiness of the members of my family, and having regard to the fact that I headed the high office of a Judge and presently holding the post of chairman of WBHRC and being humbly of the view that I have lived up to the expectations of both, I have decided to resign from the post of chairman of the commission with immediate effect,” said the letter.
“I have no attachment to any post unless I can work with dignity and honour and I understand that it is not possible under the present situation,” said Ganguly, who is alleged to have sexually harassed a former law intern and was indicted by a three-Judge panel set up by the Supreme Court, in his letter. “This letter may therefore be treated as notice under Section 23(1) of the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993,” he said.
Speaking to The Indian Express, he said, “I submitted my resignation letter to Governor M K Narayanan yesterday. I was waiting for it to be accepted. My resignation letter has been accepted today.”
Later in the day, the state government issued a press release stating that the Governor had accepted Ganguly’s resignation letter. WBHRC member and former DGP Naparajit Mukherjee has been appointed acting chairman.
Sources close to Ganguly said he decided to resign as he faced non-cooperation from within the WBHRC. “Till today, we were not sure about his resignation,” said WBHRC Registrar Rabindranath Samanta.