Calls for Panel to Help Reinstate Deserving Teachers; TMC Rejects Proposal
Kolkata, April 5 – A day after the Supreme Court annulled over 25,000 school job appointments in West Bengal, BJP MP and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to form a high-level committee to identify and reinstate deserving teachers.Gangopadhyay proposed that the committee be headed by the state education minister and include the advocate general, legal experts, and the chairman of the West Bengal School Service Commission. He also expressed willingness to be part of the panel himself, along with prominent legal figures such as CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya.
Supreme Court Ruling Sparks Political Tensions
On Thursday, a Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar declared the recruitment process for 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff in state-run and aided schools as "vitiated and tainted." The verdict upheld a previous Calcutta High Court judgment from April 22, 2024, that invalidated the appointments.Reacting to the development, Gangopadhyay called on Mamata Banerjee—whom he addressed as "Didi"—to rise above politics and take initiative. “It is possible to differentiate between those who obtained jobs through merit and those who used fraudulent means,” he stated from Parliament premises.
He also suggested filing a review petition in the Supreme Court to prepare a list of honest candidates and said, “Your honour, please note these people have not committed any impropriety... I think this can be possible even now.”
TMC Rejects Proposal, Labels It Politically Motivated
Senior TMC MP and lawyer Kalyan Bandyopadhyay categorically rejected Gangopadhyay’s proposal. “After the Supreme Court’s order, there cannot be further reconciliation or settlement of the issue. The only option left is to act as directed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court,” he said.Bandyopadhyay also criticized Gangopadhyay for allegedly shifting positions, stating, “He demands the CM’s resignation one day and urges her to form a committee the next. These are politically motivated remarks.”
TMC veteran Sudip Bandyopadhyay echoed the sentiment, saying, “Gangopadhyay joined the BJP to fulfill his political ambitions. His criticisms of CM Mamata Banerjee carry no weight.”
Blame on State Administration
Gangopadhyay has consistently blamed the Mamata Banerjee-led administration for the controversy, accusing it of inefficiency and causing hardship to genuinely deserving candidates. He reiterated his view that political will could still separate the meritorious from the tainted, despite the court’s sweeping cancellation order.The ongoing fallout from the Supreme Court verdict is expected to escalate political tensions in West Bengal, as stakeholders continue to spar over responsibility and possible recourse for those affected.
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