The deputy leader of the Green Party in British Columbia was dismissed after he liked a social media post comparing Dr. Bonnie Henry to the Nazi doctor Joseph Mengele.

Leader Sonia Furstenau announced this step in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday night.

She said, "Today, I learned that Dr. Sanjeev Gandhi, the deputy leader, liked a tweet containing an inappropriate comparison between our regional health officer and Mengele. I find this unacceptable, and I have dismissed Dr. Gandhi from the position of deputy leader and accepted his resignation." She wrote, "Candidate."

Gandhi was appointed deputy leader in January. He is the former head of pediatric cardiovascular and thoracic surgery at British Columbia Children's Hospital and has been an outspoken critic of the government's healthcare policies, including its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Furstenau said at a press conference on Thursday in which she spoke about Gandhi's removal that the Green Party reviewed Gandhi's candidacy.

She said: "As a party, we do not tolerate hate speech." "This party continues to condemn speech that aligns with extremist or hateful narratives, especially any trivialization of the Holocaust."

In a statement released on Thursday, Gandhi said he "inadvertently" and mistakenly liked the September post and has "not liked it" since.

His statement said: "We can be passionate and aggressive in criticizing the government, but personal attacks are completely wrong, as was the case with my inappropriate like."

"As someone who has been the subject of significant racism in my life, I know words matter, and I do not condone the belittlement or demonization of any group of people for any reason, including those based on race or religion. I am sorry for the harm I caused."

The decision to withdraw his candidacy was made in consultation with Furstenau and because of the potential impact the controversy could have on the campaign.

His statement continued: "I realize my mistake and that others exploiting this mistake will be an inevitable distraction."

He also maintained his assessment that the healthcare system in British Columbia is broken and that the government has failed to address the issues it suffers from.

The statement concluded, "I hope this message, and not my grave mistake on Twitter, encourages others to continue demanding more for the citizens of British Columbia. And I hope, in due time, I personally find another way to do the same."

This is not the first time Gandhi's use of social media has landed him in an embarrassing position. In September, he liked a post describing Health Minister Adrian Dix as a "eugenics charlatan" [exactly].

Gandhi was scheduled to run in the 2024 election for a seat in Vancouver-Renfrew, a new riding covering most of the Vancouver-Kingsway district currently represented by Dix.

In response to a question about the situation on Thursday, Dix defended the province's handling of the pandemic and praised Henry's leadership throughout it. He said Gandhi's dismissal was "appropriate" under the circumstances and described his social media activity as "unacceptable" and "shameful."

Premier David Eby said Gandhi's social media behavior was a "disgusting" attack on Henry, a dedicated public servant who helped guide the province through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Political scientist Hamish Telford said he does not believe the controversy will have a long-term impact on the party, but the scene is not favorable for its leader.

Telford said, "I think this calls Sonia Furstenau's judgment into question." "Clearly, she recruited and promoted this person, and it ended very badly for her."

Furstenau says she does not conduct candidate screenings.

She said, "I am not personally involved in the party's vetting processes, but the party does vet candidates."

Former Green Party leader Andrew Weaver denied this claim on Thursday, saying Furstenau would have been involved in some vetting and questioned the party’s future.

Weaver said: "I would not be surprised to see the Green Party wiped out in the next election due to the behavior we have seen and that was embodied last night."