The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday slammed West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, blaming her for widespread corruption in the state’s school recruitment process and saying that she would eventually be jailed.
Addressing a press conference, BJP leader Sambit Patra said that the rule of law would prevail and assured that if the BJP were to come to power in the state, Mamata Banerjee would be held accountable.
"Didi jail jayengi, albat jayengi. Hindustan mai kanoon ka shasan hai. (Didi will go to jail, definitely she will. There is a rule of law in India.) The day BJP forms a government in Bengal, the full force of the law will be brought upon Mamata Banerjee," news agency ANI quoted Sambit Patra as saying.
The BJP leader's comments came a day after the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to cancel the recruitment of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff over serious irregularities in the selection process.
Sambit Patra alleges TMC's govt ‘institutionalised corruption’
Sambit Patra accused Banerjee's government of “institutionalising corruption” and stifling investigations into the school recruitment scam.
{{/usCountry}}Sambit Patra accused Banerjee's government of “institutionalising corruption” and stifling investigations into the school recruitment scam.
{{/usCountry}}"A few days ago, Mamata Banerjee went to Oxford and called herself a tigress. But no tigress engages in corruption. The way her government has allowed corruption to flourish in Bengal, lakhs of people have suffered," he said
He pointed to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling, saying the top court had confirmed large-scale fraud under Banerjee’s leadership.
"The Supreme Court, in its verdict delivered by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, found serious manipulation in the recruitment process conducted through the School Service Commission (SSC). The apex court stated that the entire selection process was vitiated by manipulation and fraud. Credibility and legitimacy have been denuded," said Patra.
He also referred to the Calcutta High Court’s April 22, 2024, judgement that invalidated 25,780 appointments after uncovering tampered OMR sheets and bribes for unqualified candidates.
Patra accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of blocking the probe and questioned the silence of opposition parties.
“Had such serious allegations been made against any NDA Chief Minister, Rahul Gandhi would have raised a storm in Parliament, calling it the 'murder of democracy.' Where is he now? Where are the INDI Alliance leaders?” he asked.
What is the SSC recruitment scam in Bengal?
The SSC recruitment scam is one of the most significant corruption scandals in West Bengal, marked by multiple arrests and claims of bribes in school job appointments.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to cancel the recruitment of over 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016 for state-run and aided schools.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar, observed that the selection process was deeply compromised due to widespread manipulation and fraud.
“In our view, the entire recruitment process is irreparably tainted and invalid. The scale of fraud and manipulation, along with efforts to cover it up, has destroyed the credibility of the process,” the court said in its ruling.
The court supported the High Court's directive to terminate the services of “tainted” candidates and recover the salaries they had received. “As these appointments were obtained fraudulently, it amounts to cheating. There’s no reason to change this direction,” the judges stated.
This verdict came in response to a petition by the West Bengal government challenging the Calcutta High Court’s April 2022 order that had scrapped the recruitment process. The Supreme Court had reserved its judgment in February this year.
The court also ruled that even the candidates not found guilty of wrongdoing ("untainted") must be dismissed, as the entire process was flawed. However, they won't be asked to return any payments already made to them.
The Supreme Court allowed these untainted candidates to reapply for their earlier positions in government departments. If they do, they will be reinstated in their previous roles.
The court also said that those whose jobs were terminated but who had previously worked in state departments or autonomous bodies could apply to return to their former posts.
(With ANI inputs)