Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal, boldly challenged the BJP on Thursday, stating that she was prepared to be arrested if necessary for her support of the impacted applicants in the purported SSC recruitment fraud.
Following the Supreme Court's decision to nullify the appointments of 25,753 teachers and other staff members in state-run and state-aided schools, she made these remarks.
Banerjee made it apparent that she disapproved of the decision for humanitarian reasons, even if she still respected the judiciary.
"This case will be examined by our attorneys. Candidates are depressed, I know that. On April 7, I'll meet them at Netaji Indoor Stadium. For humanitarian reasons, I support the candidates. The BJP is free to put me in jail for this step if they so want. If you're prepared for that, come get me," Banerjee urged.
"While I have the highest respect for the judiciary and judges, I cannot accept the judgment from a humanitarian point of view," she stated in a press conference. She did, however, promise that her government will follow the court's ruling and pursue all available legal options.
"We have to accept the judgment and do whatever is legally possible," she stated.
Banerjee reaffirmed that her government has no involvement in the work of the School Service Commission (SSC), which is an independent organization. She claimed that the BJP was unfairly accusing her and exploiting the matter for political ends.
"SSC is a self-governing organization. The government will not obstruct their efforts. For humanitarian reasons, we support the candidates if the court stipulates three months (for a new selection process). According to Sukanta Majumdar, I am accountable for this. Why do they always target Bengal? I was born in Bengal, and I am aware of the central government's and the BJP's goals," she remarked.
The political struggle over the SSC scandal is anticipated to heat up in the days ahead, as Banerjee is scheduled to meet with the impacted candidates at Netaji Indoor Stadium on April 7.
Banerjee criticizes the BJP
Banerjee further noted that Partha Chatterjee, the previous minister of education, was already in jail as a result of the government's actions in the case. She questioned why, in cases like the Madhya Pradesh Vyapam scandal, BJP leaders were not held responsible.
She questioned, "How many BJP leaders were arrested in the Vyapam case?" and charged that Bengal was being singled out by the central government.
According to the Chief Minister, the BJP was also trying to "collapse Bengal's education system" with its acts.
"Does the BJP want to ensure the collapse of West Bengal's education system?" she asked.
