'If You Find Money At Judge's Home...': Mamata Banerjee Slams Court Verdict On Teacher Appointments

Hours after the West Bengal government faced a major setback in the teachers' recruitment case, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her disagreement with the Supreme Court’s judgment, though she assured that her government would comply with it.

The court upheld a ruling by the Calcutta High Court that cancelled the appointment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff, citing manipulation and fraud in the recruitment process.

Speaking to the media, Mamata Banerjee made it clear that while she did not accept the judgment personally, her government would take necessary steps to implement it. "As a citizen of this country, I have every right, and I cannot accept this judgment, with due respect to the judges. I am expressing my opinion from a humanitarian perspective. Don’t misinform or create confusion," she said.

She also added that the government had already instructed the West Bengal School Service Commission to restart the recruitment process.

The Supreme Court’s decision upheld the Calcutta HC's verdict that the appointments were made through fraudulent means, rendering them invalid. The bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, noted that the process was marred by manipulation and that the credibility of the entire selection process had been "denuded."

Mamata Banerjee raised concerns over the far-reaching consequences of the ruling, pointing out that the decision would affect not only the 25,000 candidates but also their families. "It's not just 25,000 candidates, their families are impacted too," she remarked.

She further questioned the intent behind the judgment, accusing the BJP and CPM of conspiring against Bengal. "Do BJP and CPM want Bengal's education system to collapse?" she asked. Banerjee also referred to a recent recovery from the residence of a Delhi High Court judge, drawing comparisons between the handling of this case and the fate of the affected teachers.

The chief minister’s remarks suggest a larger political and social divide, with accusations of a conspiracy to target the state’s education system.