Kolkata, Jan 8 (IANS) Rubbishing retired justice A.K. Ganguly’s contention that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee did not want him to continue as state human rights panel chief after some decisions taken by him went against her government, ruling Trinamool Congress MP Sougata Roy Wednesday said Ganguly’s claims were not borne out by facts.
“We did not complain about Ganguly earlier. After the Supreme Court panel report came out, Mamata Banerjee wrote to the president, as he is the only competent authority to remove the human rights panel chairman,” said Roy.
“The charge that the Bengal chief minister was biased does not stand to reason, or was borne out by facts,” he said.
Welcoming Ganguly’s resignation, Roy said “otherwise he would have been dragged over the coals in the Supreme Court inquiry”.
Bowing to mounting pressure following a law intern’s allegation that he had sexually harassed her, Ganguly stepped down as West Bengal Human Rights Commission chairman Monday.
A probe panel of three judges set up by the Supreme Court after the intern’s allegation became public observed in its report that “statement of (victim) both written and oral, prima facie discloses an act of unwelcome behaviour (unwelcome verbal/non-verbal conduct of sexual nature) by Ganguly”.
Banerjee wrote twice to President Pranab Mukherjee for taking urgent necessary action, so as to remove Ganguly from the post.
Meanwhile, the cabinet cleared the home ministry’s proposal for a presidential reference to the Supreme Court for a probe into the allegations.