Protests have continued to sweep through Kolkata following the Supreme Court's cancellation of over 25,500 teaching and non-teaching appointments. On Friday, a massive rally marched toward the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) office. A 13-member delegation also met with the state’s education minister Bratya Basu for an extended discussion on the issue.
The protesters reiterated their core demands are the publication of mirror images of the OMR sheets and a clear list distinguishing qualified candidates from those who allegedly secured jobs through fraudulent means in the now-scrapped 2016 SSC recruitment panel.
Following the three-hour-long meeting with the education minister, where SSC chairman was also present, the jobless teachers claimed that they have been assured that a list of tainted and untainted candidates would be released by the commission by April 21. Basu also informed that if there are no legal complications the list based on information provided by the CBI would be made public.
It was also clarified that the actual mirror images of the OMR sheets do not exist. The copies that the CBI currently has will be made public instead. The minister has also informed them that the government was previewing the legal aspects of continuing the payments of their salaries.
Meanwhile, a large number of teachers gather under the banner ofJogyo Shikshak Shikshika Odhikar Mancha (Qualified Teacher Rights Platform), for a rally which began in Karunamoyee in Salt Lake. It included not only those affected by the job cancellations but also members of the broader teaching community and supporters from various sections of society.
The streets echoed with chants of “We Want Justice” as the protesters moved toward the SSC office. Upon reaching the office, where three jobless teachers have already been on a relay hunger strike since Thursday, the demonstrators began a sit-in protest on the road. A heavy police presence, including personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), was deployed to control the situation.
Meanwhile, opposition parties ramped up their pressure on the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), holding protest marches across the state.
Former Calcutta High Court judge and BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay visited the protesters near the SSC office. He warned that if the state government fails to protect qualified candidates, the BJP will move towards a larger movement. However, his presence was not universally welcomed—he faced criticism and "Go Back" slogans from sections of the protestors.
In Malda, BJP leader and former state party president Dilip Ghosh led a protest march to the District Magistrate’s office in support of the terminated employees. He stated, “If the TMC tries to separate the qualified from the unqualified, those who paid bribes will block Kalighat [a reference to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence].”
In a separate incident, Congress workers clashed with police in Bardhaman when they were allegedly prevented from locking the District Inspector of Schools (Secondary Education) office during a protest against the alleged police assault on teachers in Kolkata.
