TMC MP gets show-cause notice for FB post comparing Gandhi with Subhas Chandra Bose

Trinamool Congress MP Anupam Hazra in a Facebook post last week had said he has a problem in accepting Mahatma Gandhi as the Father of the Nation.
Facebook (File photo | Reuters)
Facebook (File photo | Reuters)

KOLKATA: Controversial Trinamool Congress MP and Visva-Bharati University Professor, Anupam Hazra, was issued show-cause notice by the party on Friday for allegedly demeaning Mahatma Gandhi on a Facebook post. He has been asked to reply to the notice by March 2. The matter will also be discussed in the party core committee meeting on March 9.

In a Facebook post on February 16, Hazra said that he found it difficult to accept Mahatma Gandhi as ‘father of the nation’ and stated that people’s respect would also have reduced for Mahatma Gandhi had his face not been printed on every note. He also said that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose would have received his due recognition if he was not victimised by Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru. In a later post, Hazra clarified that he did not support Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin Nathuram Godse.

However, TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee distanced the party from the post saying: “Anupam’s comments have put the party in bad light. It is better to leave the party than destroy its image.” He also said that the matter would be discussed during the core committee meeting on March 9.

However, Bolpur MP Hazra again took to Facebook on Thursday evening with another post justifying his statement: “As a Bengali, I felt Netaji was greater than Mr Gandhi but I was termed ‘anti-party’ and was subjected to mental agony. Does this mean that following the ideology of party founder Mamata Banerjee has no value?” The show-cause notice was served to him after this post.

It is being speculated that TMC might even decide to expel Hazra from the party in view of his repeated Facebook posts which have embarrassed the party on several occasions. He was also rebuked by Mamata Banerjee for his posts. The Bolpur MP also shares an uneasy relation with party strongman and Birbhum district president Anubrata Mondal, who is considered one of Mamata Banerjee’s closest aides.

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