Mamata Banerjee Criticizes BJP Amid Supreme Court's Teacher Recruitment Verdict

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has criticized the BJP, questioning the constant targeting of Bengal after the Supreme Court upheld the dismissal of 25,000 teachers. She emphasized her support for affected candidates and vowed legal reviews, criticizing alleged institutional corruption highlighted by the Supreme Court.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the BJP during a press conference at Nabanna on Thursday, questioning why Bengal faces repeated scrutiny following the Supreme Court's decision to uphold the dismissal of 25,000 teachers. Banerjee asserted that the SSC is an autonomous body, and the government will not interfere with its functions. She expressed solidarity with the candidates affected by the ruling on humanitarian grounds, while dismissing allegations of responsibility placed on her by BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar.

Earlier, the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court's decision to cancel the recruitment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff by the SSC in 2016. Delivering the verdict, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna stated there's no valid ground to challenge the High Court's decision that the services of tainted candidates must be terminated.

Chief Minister Banerjee assured that her legal team would review the verdict, acknowledging the distress among candidates. Banerjee announced plans to meet with affected individuals on April 7 at the Netaji Indoor Stadium and expressed her willingness to face any political backlash from the BJP. Advocate Sudipto Das Gupta supported the Supreme Court's observations, identifying institutional corruption and efforts to conceal it. He noted the technical possibility of a review by the SSC or the state, although deemed unlikely to produce favorable outcomes given past failures in presenting necessary details.

(With inputs from agencies.)