india

Updated: Jan 27, 2016 11:30 IST

Lashing out at an “arrogant” and “stupid” India, retired Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju posted his farewell from Facebook where he would often publish long articles and blog posts.

Katju left social media in a tizzy with his post, primarily on Twitter where he pinned a screenshot of the same with a bold ‘Goodbye’. However, by 9 am, one could no longer see the post on Facebook, perhaps indicative of a change of heart?

Saying he attempted to pass on his knowledge to everyone as “his duty” to his country despite the physical exertion it took, Katju wrote he was “sorry he even tried”.

“I tried to pass on all my knowledge I acquired in my life to you, so that you may benefit… But what did I get in return? I got mostly abuses from most of you, because most of you are stupid and arrogant, and have no desire to learn,” posted a seemingly exasperated Katju, ending the post with a “Goodbye”.

Katju also followed up the farewell with an earlier Facebook post on Twitter where he indicated that he would be slowing down on social media, given his age. However, it wan’t before he left a summary of his thoughts and enterprise.

The retired judge and former chairman of the Press Council of India has had a colourful track record on social media. From stark criticism of various political leaders and government initiatives to controversial remarks on institutions and cultural practices, Katju has spared almost no one in his tirade against all that he perceives is wrong with India.

According to him, Mahatma Gandhi was a “British agent”, Rabindranath Tagore was a “British stooge” and Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a “Japanese agent”. Contemporary politicians did not get away easy as well with Katju calling Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal a “total fraud”. Educational institutes like IIT-Bombay also faced his ire when he told them they had no genuine love for the country and were “utterly selfish with no patriotism or idealism”. His legal colleagues were pulled into a controversy when he wrote in a blog post in 2014 that former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan had pushed for the elevation of a Madras high court judge with a “bad reputation” to the Supreme Court during his tenure.