Can Mamata Banerjee Challenge the Supreme Court? Check What's in Store for Sacked Teachers

In a fiery address at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly backed over 25,000 teachers and school staff whose appointments were recently cancelled by the Supreme Court. The CM vowed to protect the jobs of “deserving” teachers and questioned the fairness of the verdict, comparing it with other national recruitment controversies.

"Why Only Bengal?" Asks Mamata Banerjee

Taking a direct swipe at the judiciary’s decision, Mamata Banerjee cited the NEET entrance examination case, where despite allegations of irregularities, the apex court did not scrap the entire test. “Why is Bengal being targeted?” she asked. “In BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh, the Vyapam scam saw several deaths, but no justice has been delivered. In NEET, too, allegations surfaced, but no exam was cancelled.”

“The Supreme Court must clarify who is deserving and who is not. Give us the list. No one has the right to break the education system. You are scared of Bengal’s talent,” she said, addressing the gathering of affected teachers.

She assured the teachers that they won’t be left helpless. “If the Supreme Court provides clarity, we will be grateful. If not, we will find a way. Suffer for two months, not for 20 years. I will even compensate for those two months,” she promised.

Court Observes Massive Manipulations in Recruitment

The Supreme Court’s decision, delivered last week, cited serious irregularities in the recruitment process carried out by the West Bengal School Service Commission in 2016. The bench led by Chief Justice Sanjeev Khanna observed that the “entire selection process has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution.”

The order highlighted issues like rank-jumping, appointments made from outside the recommended panel, manipulation of OMR scores, and unauthorized selections — all admitted by the commission itself.

While the government seeks clarity and options, the sacked teachers continue to wait, hoping for a resolution that restores their livelihoods without compromising the education system’s integrity.