West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with thousands of teaching and non-teaching staffers who recently lost their jobs in state-run and aided schools. This came after a Supreme Court verdict on April 3, which cancelled over 25,000 appointments due to irregularities in the hiring process. The court called the recruitment process “vitiated and tainted”.

Many of those affected gathered at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata to hear Mamata Banerjee speak. She assured them of her full support, saying, “I stand by those who lost their jobs in schools in Bengal. I will do everything to restore their dignity.”

She also clarified that the state government respects the Supreme Court’s decision but will “take proactive steps to ensure the situation is handled with utmost care and fairness.”

“I will not allow eligible candidates to lose school jobs… I am ready to even go to jail if anyone wants to penalise me for standing with those who lost school jobs,” she added.

Mamata Banerjee also said that she was being unfairly blamed. “We have separate plans to ensure eligible candidates don't become jobless or have a break in service,” she explained.

The scene outside the stadium was emotional and chaotic. Large crowds gathered, including people without official passes, making it difficult for the police to control the situation, PTI reported.

This was Mamata’s first major public meeting since the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court’s earlier decision to cancel thousands of school job appointments.

Suvendu Adhikari demands Mamata’s resignation

On the same day, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and other party members held a protest, demanding Mamata Banerjee’s resignation. They accused her and the TMC government of corruption linked to the illegal job appointments.

“Mamata Banerjee should go to jail. She is the main beneficiary. Her nephew took a bribe of ₹700 crore…” said Adhikari.

The BJP's protest follows the Supreme Court’s order that invalidated the jobs of more than 25,000 teachers and staff recruited by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016.

 

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