Let Abhishek Banerjee submit a list of judges who belong to the BJP: Calcutta high court

The Calcutta high court on Thursday observed that Mamata All India Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee should submit a list of judges who favour the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and those supporting the All India Trinamool Congress.

This comes days after the Diamond Harbour MP attacked the judiciary for dilly-dallying over a case related to his security downgrade after the BJP government came to power.

“Ask your client. Who are the judges with the BJP? Please give the list. Your client is very intelligent as per the statement. Let your client give the list of those who belong to the BJP and those who belong to the AITC,” a bench of Justice Krishna Rao remarked.

The bench was hearing a petition filed by Banerjee challenging the reduction of his security cover from Z+ to X category after the change of government in West Bengal.

Abhishek Banerjee's remarks

On November 7, Abhishek Banerjee reportedly said that a case he filed over his security downgrade had been only “partly heard”, alleging that the “BJP had exerted pressure”.

“I filed a petition before the Calcutta high court. It was partly heard. The matter was to be heard again on (October) 13. Maybe they (BJP) created some pressure. The matter was before Justice Krishna Rao. He heard the matter in part. Afterwards, the matter was listed as item 16 in the vacation bench. He took up matters till item 15. Then he rose (stood up signalling recess),” Banerjee reportedly said while addressing a gathering on his birthday.

On Thursday, additional advocate general Billwadal Bhattacharya, representing the state government, submitted a video clip of Banerjee’s statements along with a transcript. He read out excerpts from the transcript in the courtroom.

“A part of the judiciary is playing the role of mute spectators. We have nowhere to go. Today this vandalism is going on all across Bengal because of the high court and Supreme Court . . . These goons are only gaining the courage because the judiciary is keeping the cases pending. If I need to go to jail for speaking the truth, I am ready,” Banerjee reportedly said.

What happened in the court

The additional advocate general told the high court that Abhishek Banerjee's remarks constitute criminal contempt.

“In my opinion and as an officer of this court, this constitutes criminal contempt. He (Banerjee) has cast aspersions on the judge. The court cannot be taken for a ride. Political rivalry can be there, but the court is beyond and above that,” Bhattacharya told the court.

“This has no connection with the petition,” senior advocate Shoeb Alam, representing Banerjee in the petition related to security, argued before the court.

Politics

BJP spokesperson Priyanka Tibrewal slammed Abhishek Banerjee's remarks, calling them “very shameful”.

“This is very shameful. He used to think that he was the top leader in the state. Now that his party isn’t in power anymore, he has lost his senses. The law takes its own course, and no one is above it. If someone is speaking out against the judges, that is surely contempt,” Tibrewal, who is also an advocate, told the media.

The Mamata All India Trinamool Congress (MAITC) pointed out the pendency in the judiciary.

“I am not aware of what he (Banerjee) said under what circumstances. I cannot comment on what the bench observed in the courtroom. But I can say that some citizens are disturbed with a section of the judiciary for various reasons. Thousands of cases are pending in the courts. People are not getting relief. Many people have expressed their anguish on various platforms,” lawyer and MAITC leader Baiswanor Chatterjee told the media.