Kolkata: Ruling Trinamool Congress on Thursday welcomed the Union Cabinet clearing the proposal for making a Presidential reference on removal of retired Supreme Court judge AK Ganguly, accused of harassing a law intern, as the chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission.
"We are happy at the cabinet decision. We have been demanding the removal or resignation of Justice Ganguly for a long time. Since it does not seem likely that he will resign, the legal process must be gone through and this step is the first one," senior TMC leader and party`s Lok Sabha member Saugata Roy said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written twice to President Pranab Mukherjee requesting urgent action against Justice Ganguly.
Earlier in the day, the retired judge said he has not yet `decided` on whether to resign as the chairman of WBHRC.
"I have not decided anything," Justice Ganguly said.
Demands for his resignation from WBHRC have been made by several quarters after a three-judge Supreme Court panel had indicted the judge over allegations of sexual harassment of a female law intern in December, 2012.
State Trinamool Congress General Secretary Mohua Moitra also hailed the cabinet decision.
"Significant and positive development towards reclaiming the sancity of the office of WBHRC. We hope now that speculation about the process being partisan, extra-judicial and not following the law of the land has been laid to rest," she said.
"The case has been deemed fit for the presidential reference and due process will ensure that the office of WBHRC will be redeemed," she added.
