BC Green Party Leader Sonia Furstenau said Thursday (Nov. 9) her party continues to condemn any B次元官网网址渉ateful rhetoric including minimization of the HolocaustB次元官网网址� after the firing of her deputy leader.

Furstenau dismissed Sanjiv Gandhi after he had liked a social media post comparing provincial health officer Bonnie Henry to the infamous Nazi doctor Josef Mengele, then dismissed suggestions the incident will diminish her partyB次元官网网址檚 reputation.

B次元官网网址淚 think our reputation should be based on the work that we have done, the evidence-based work we have done in (the legislature), on the platform and policies that we bring forward to, which are rooted in addressing the realities of the challenges that we face today, which no other political parties seem to be taking seriously,B次元官网网址� she said.

She made these comments during her weekly media availability after firing Gandhi Wednesday evening. She said people will recognize the BC Greens immediately took actions.

B次元官网网址�(HeB次元官网网址檚) no longer deputy leader and he submitted his resignation as candidate (for Vancouver-Renfrew),B次元官网网址� Furstenau said. B次元官网网址淲e cannot tolerate that (rhetoric), as per my statement.B次元官网网址�

Today, I was made aware of Dr. Sanjiv Gandhi, deputy leader, liking a tweet with an inappropriate comparison between our provincial health officer and Mengele. I find this unacceptable and I have removed Dr. Gandhi as deputy leader and accepted his resignation as a candidate.

B次元官网网址� Sonia Furstenau (@SoniaFurstenau)

Gandhi specifically liked a tweet on Sept. 13 from a user @plebeianwinguy, who endorsed a letter and urged Gandhi to read it out when he B次元官网网址渞uns against @adriandix and the horried @bcndp and by #QueenBonnie B次元官网网址楳engeleB次元官网网址� Henry.B次元官网网址�

Gandhi said in a statement issued on X, formerly known as Twitter, he was sorry for the harm that he caused, noting that he accidentally liked the offending third-party post with the reference to Mengele.

Please see my statement regarding my former roles with the .

B次元官网网址� Sanjiv K Gandhi (@SKGandhiMD)

B次元官网网址淩ealizing my mistake, I have B次元官网网址榰nlikedB次元官网网址� that third party tweet,B次元官网网址� Gandhi said. B次元官网网址淎s the subject of considerable racism in my own life, I know that words matter, and I do not condone the belittling or demonization of any group of people for any reason, including those based on race or religion.B次元官网网址�

Gandhi had become the partyB次元官网网址檚 second deputy leader in early January, alongside Lisa Gunderson. He assumed that post after having served as chief of pediatric cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at B.C. ChildrenB次元官网网址檚 Hospital and as clinical professor of surgery at UBC School of Medicine.

Furstenau said the party has a B次元官网网址渕echanism for vetting its candidatesB次元官网网址� in acknowledging that she was not directly involved in the vetting, while deferring questions about the vetting to the party.

B次元官网网址淭he party will continue to monitor and if action is needed, like it was needed last night, it will be taken,B次元官网网址� Furstenau said.

GandhiB次元官网网址檚 action drew widespread condemnation.

This is absolutely outrageous! B次元官网网址�.. the are demonstrating some true colours here and I am so disappointed and disturbed that they would even go here.

B次元官网网址� Selina Robinson (@selinarobinson)

Post-Secondary Education Minister Selina Robinson, who is Jewish, called the incident B次元官网网址渁bsolutely outrageousB次元官网网址� in a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter.

B次元官网网址�(The) @BCGreens are demonstrating some true colours here and I am so disappointed and disturbed that they would even go here,B次元官网网址� she wrote.

Health Minister Adrian Dix also denounced the incident.

B次元官网网址淚 think the disrespectful comments that are made, I think they will be seen by the people of B.C. as they are seen by me, as unacceptable, in some cases is revolting,B次元官网网址� Dix said. B次元官网网址淪o I think it was appropriate for the Green Party to drop their deputy party leader.B次元官网网址� Dix also denounced a social media post which called him a B次元官网网址渃harlatan eugenicist.B次元官网网址� Gandhi had liked the post as well.

RELATED:

Known as the Angel of Death, Mengele served from May 1943 to January 1945 as doctor at the concentration camp in Auschwitz, where the Nazis killed a million Jews as part of the Holocaust along with other groups. Mengele selected inmates for extermination and also performed gruesome human experiments on inmates but escaped justice, dying in Brazil in 1979 at the age of 67.

wolfgang.depner@blackpress.ca
Like us on and follow us on .