THE TRINAMOOL Congress is banking on supremo Mamata Banerjee’s power of persuasion and the fact that a similar order didn’t seem to have affected its Lok Sabha poll performance, to ride the bump of Thursday’s Supreme Court order cancelling the appointment of 25,773 teaching and non-teaching staff.
A Supreme Court Bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld the Calcutta High Court verdict that had earlier annulled the appointment of the teachers. The Court also ordered the TMC-led West Bengal government to initiate a fresh selection process.
Government officials said Banerjee is speaking with legal experts on the issue, and will decide their action plan after that. TMC leaders said that they expect the CM to take quick action at least in the case of those already working in teacher posts who have now lost their jobs.
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Addressing a press conference at the state Secretariat soon after the Supreme Court’s order Thursday, Banerjee said: “While I have the highest respect for the judiciary and judges, I cannot accept the judgment from a humanitarian point of view.”
She offered all possible help to those rendered jobless by the Supreme Court’s verdict, and said she would meet those affected on April 7. “I will go and listen to them. I can only urge them not to be impatient. We are with you. We may be sent to jail for supporting you, but don’t worry, I welcome that,” said Banerjee.
In its order on Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court order invalidating the West Bengal School Selection Commission’s 2016 appointment of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, calling the selection “tainted beyond resolution”.
“For candidates not specifically found to be tainted,” the Court added, “the entire selection process has been rightly declared null and void due to the egregious violations and illegalities.”
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A senior TMC leader said, “When the Lok Sabha elections were on last year, the High Court had given the order (now upheld by the Supreme Court), but that did not affect our results in the polls. In fact, the BJP’s numbers in West Bengal went down from 18 to 12. We don’t think it will affect our electorate this time either.”
The leader added that they had time on their side. “The Assembly elections are scheduled after almost one year. In that period, our party will make up for this crisis. We have already surmounted the people’s outrage after the R G Kar rape and murder case. That was a much bigger crisis than this.”
However, other TMC leaders see the Supreme Court verdict as adding to the impression of a government lurching from one crisis to another. “After the R G Kar incident, comes this. After a few days, the Supreme Court is expected to give its verdict on the OBC matter and another teacher jobs case. If the Court again rules against the government, it will create a negative perspective,” a senior TMC MLA said.
The OBC matter the Supreme Court is hearing is the Banerjee government’s appeal against a Calcutta High Court judgment quashing its decision to classify 77 communities, mostly Muslims, as OBCs, making them eligible for reservation benefits. The other case the Supreme Court is hearing also involves a High Court order, with the state appealing against a CBI inquiry into a Cabinet decision regarding the teacher jobs case.
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Soon after the Supreme Court’s Thursday order, Opposition parties raised the demand for Banerjee’s resignation. Congress state president Shuvankar Sarkar said: “Had the government been pro-active then (when the scam broke), jobs could have been saved. So this government should not continue even a single day more.”
BJP state president Sukanta Majumder said: “The CM tried to suppress corruption and save those who made money. So she knows everything. Now, she should resign.”
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said Banerjee should “take responsibility”. As for the teachers who were stranded without jobs because of no fault of theirs, Adhikari said: “I would tell the eligible candidates not to worry. The Court has not given any stipulated time for you. Don’t bow down. You can petition the apex court, I think the Court will consider your matter.”
CPI(M) state secretary Md Salim said that it was pointless to expect those corrupt to make “transparent recruitments”. “What the BJP did in Madhya Pradesh (Vyapam scam), the same the TMC did in West Bengal. We have to save the education system and schools of the state.”
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TMC spokesperson Jayprakash Majumder said the Opposition should hold its horses and wait for the CM’s meeting with the teachers on April 7, and for what she tells the eligible candidates who have lost their jobs.
Education Minister Bratya Basu said Friday: “As departmental head I assure that those who are eligible and have been deprived, the government stands by them.”
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