Kolkata, April 3: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said she respects the judiciary but disagrees with the Supreme Court’s verdict on school appointments “on humanitarian grounds” and dared the BJP that she was ready to be arrested for supporting the affected candidates.
While accusing the BJP and the CPI(M) of “hatching a conspiracy and influencing the verdict”, Banerjee emphasised that while her government would abide by the top court ruling, it would explore all possible legal options. “I have the utmost respect for the judiciary and judges, but from a humanitarian perspective, I cannot accept this judgment. As a citizen of this country, I have every right to express my opinion. While I respect the judge and the judiciary, I do not agree with the verdict,” Banerjee said at a press conference at the state secretariat. “How can a single person’s crime lead to punishment for all,” Banerjee said. She also took a defiant stance against the BJP’s criticism of her support for the dismissed teachers. “Our lawyers will review this matter. If the BJP wants to send me to jail for supporting them, they can. Catch me if you want to,” she declared. Referring to the alleged recovery of large amount of cash recovered from a judge’s residence in New Delhi, she questioned why such cases are treated differently when money is found at a judge’s home.
“I have heard and read reports of huge cash being recovered from a judge’s residence. If you recover money from a sitting judge’s home, he is only transferred. Then why were these candidates not transferred? The first judge (ex judge of Calcutta High court Abhijit Gangopadhyay) to give this order is now a BJP MP,” she said.
She alleged that the verdict was “influenced by a conspiracy between the BJP and the CPI(M)”.
Banerjee highlighted that the ruling had impacted not just the candidates but also their families. “It’s not just 25,000 candidates; their families are affected too. Why should so many people be punished for a few?” she questioned. A Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, upheld a Calcutta High Court order dated April 22, 2024, which annulled the appointments and directed the state government to initiate a fresh selection process.
Accusing the BJP of deliberately targeting Bengal, Banerjee asked whether being born in the state was a crime. “Over 11,000 of the affected teachers taught in Class 9 and 10, and more than 5,500 in Class 11 and 12. These are crucial years, the gateway to higher education. Many of them are correcting answer sheets of board exams. Do BJP and CPI(M) want the education system to collapse?” she asked. (PTI)
