Mamata Banerjee slams judiciary over court ruling in school jobs case

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday launched a scathing attack against the judiciary over the Calcutta High ruling on Monday that cancelled 25,753 appointments in teaching and non-teaching posts made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016.

Addressing an election rally at Bhatar in East Burdwan district, the Trinamool Congress supremo said, “I do not want to name anybody. The judges will earn their livelihood from the public exchequer. The state exchequer will bear the cost of their security. Yet they will terminate services.”

In a crucial ruling on Monday, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court cancelled the appointment of all the 25,753 persons empanelled in 2016 for various categories of jobs at secondary and higher secondary schools in West Bengal. The case is being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Speaking at the rally, the Chief Minister also indirectly linked a section of the judiciary to the BJP.

“We provide appointments, which they terminate using the court. Had there been any irregularity, we could have been informed. We could have rectified the errors. I cannot look after everything. There are different departments in the state government,” the Chief Minister said.

She also asked who would take the responsibility in case anyone takes a drastic step following the termination of his or her service.

After the court ruling on Monday, the Chief Minister had indirectly alleged a clandestine link between the BJP and a section of the judiciary, as she questioned how could someone predict in advance what the court’s decision would be.

Although Banerjee did not name anyone, her hint was at the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, who on Saturday claimed that Trinamool Congress would receive a major jolt that will shake the entire party next week.

“Someone said there will be an explosion. What sort of explosion? Is it the termination of service of 26,000 people? I condemn that. How could someone predict the court’s ruling in advance? The verdict was pronounced on Monday but some predicted it on Saturday.

"How could this happen unless the person who made the projection himself drafted the court order,” the Chief Minister said on Monday.