New Delhi [India], April 3 : BJP MP Samik Bhattacharya on Thursday demanded West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation over the West Bengal SSC recruitment scam, alleging TMC's actions had ruined careers of many deserving youths'.
Speaking to ANI, Samik Bhattacharya said, "TMC is responsible for this. It sold off jobs like vegetables. What is most unfortunate is that with TMC's action, even those who fought and got jobs on the basis of their merit are losing their jobs today. To protect their government and people, TMC ruined the career of so many young men and women."
"We wanted those people who wrongfully got jobs to lose the job. But they snatched away 7-8 years of the lives of those who had merit and did not buy the job. They sold 40,000 jobs in West Bengal. We can see its results today. CM should take responsibility for this and resign," he added.
The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Calcutta High Court's decision to cancel the recruitment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff by the SSC in 2016 for state-run and state-aided schools.
"We find no valid ground or reason to interfere with the decision of the High Court that services of tainted candidates must be terminated", a bench led by CJI Sanjiv Khanna said while pronouncing the verdict
CM Mamata Banerjee further stated that her lawyers would review the matter.
"Our lawyers will review this matter. I know candidates are depressed. I will meet them on April 7 at the Netaji Indoor Stadium. I'm with candidates on humanitarian grounds. For this step, if the BJP wants to send me to jail, they can. Catch me if you are ready for that," she said.
Advocate Sudipto Das Gupta welcomed the Supreme Court's decision."The Supreme Court made two observations: one highlighting institutional corruption and another stating the efforts made to cover it up. While a review of SSC or the state is technically possible, it is unlikely to yield any results. Those who were eligible for recruitment years ago may no longer qualify, and SSC and the Board have failed to present the necessary details," he said.
The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) teacher recruitment scam came to light after the arrest of Bengal BJP leader Partha Chatterjee, a Trinamool Congress leader who was the education minister in Mamata Banerjee's cabinet until his arrest on July 23, 2022.