Kolkata, Jan 26 (IANS): Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court, who made headlines for his verdicts in the multi-crore teachers' recruitment irregularity scam in West Bengal, has come under fire from the Trinamool Congress over his adverse remarks about a collection of poetries written by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

On Wednesday evening, Justice Gangopadhyay went to attend a private function at an iconic library named after the great Indian poet and dramatist Michael Madhusudan Dutt at Kidderpore in South Kolkata. There he referred to the first line of a much- discussed poetry written by the chief minister and said that if such is the first line of a poem then hardly anyone would prefer to read it.

"It is high time to say that the libraries should not display such items. If a government- run library displays such rubbish publications, will any human being visit that library for the purpose of studies? Unfortunately, government grants are available only if such publications are displayed. But in my opinion such books only aid the termites," Justice Gangopadhyay stated.

His comments have evoked strong criticisms from the Trinamool Congress leadership. According to the party's Rajya Sabha member, Dr Santanu Sen, since the comments were made outside the court it should be considered as his private opinion. "His comments prove that he is acting more like a political representative. His only task is to oppose the chief minister and the state government," Sen said.

This is not the first time that the collection of poetries by the chief minister, christened "Kabita Bitan" had been in controversy. In May last year, there was strong criticism from different political and social circles after the state government gave a special award to the chief minister for her contribution to the cause of literature. She received the award for Kabita Bitan.