 "'I can be jailed...': Mamata Banerjee slams 'conspiracy' after SC upholds sacking of 25,000 Bengal teachers")
synopsis
Mamata Banerjee met with sacked Bengal teachers and vowed to protect qualified candidates after the Supreme Court verdict. She said she “can be jailed for speaking out” but would do everything to restore their dignity.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday met with a group of school teachers whose appointments were cancelled, following the Supreme Court’s verdict upholding the Calcutta High Court’s order that scrapped over 25,000 school jobs in the state.
In an emotionally charged address, Banerjee said her “heart has turned into stone with sadness” and added, “I can be jailed for speaking out,” but vowed to stand by those affected.
“There is a conspiracy going on to destroy the education system,” Banerjee declared, suggesting a larger plot behind the court decisions. “Teachers of classes 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th are the gateways to higher education... Many of them are gold medalists, they have achieved great results in their lives, and you are calling them thieves. You are calling them incompetent—who gave you this right? Who is playing this game?”
Reaffirming her commitment to justice, Banerjee added, “I will not allow those who are genuinely qualified to suffer because of others’ wrongdoing. I will do everything to restore their dignity.” She stressed that her government would take all possible legal and administrative steps to protect the livelihoods of eligible candidates.
Her remarks come amid increasing political heat and public outcry over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process for government school jobs. The issue has drawn significant attention in recent weeks, especially after the apex court upheld the cancellation of thousands of appointments deemed illegal.
The Bengal school jobs scam involves widespread corruption in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff between 2014 and 2021 through the School Service Commission (SSC).
Investigations by the Calcutta High Court and the Enforcement Directorate revealed that unqualified candidates had been appointed in exchange for bribes, bypassing merit lists. The scam led to the arrest of former education minister Partha Chatterjee and multiple top officials.
With thousands of appointments now cancelled, protests and legal battles have intensified, and many disqualified teachers claim they followed due procedure and are being unfairly punished.
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