Agitators clash with police as Bengal witnesses protests over loss of school jobs

Kolkata: Several districts of West Bengal witnessed widespread protests on Wednesday as a section of teachers and non-teaching staffers, who lost their jobs following a Supreme Court verdict that invalidated their appointments, clashed with police during demonstrations.

The protesters alleged they were subjected to baton-charge and manhandling by law enforcement personnel in Kolkata.

In protest against the alleged police action, BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay cancelled a scheduled meeting with Education Minister Bratya Basu called to resolve the ongoing teacher recruitment crisis through dialogue.

Gangopadhyay, a former Calcutta High Court judge, was scheduled to hand over a letter, addressed to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, to Basu about his suggestions on forming a committee to help find a mechanism to save the jobs of "eligible teachers".

In Kolkata's Kasba area, around 150-200 protesters gathered outside the office of the district inspector (DI) of schools, demanding their reinstatement and a meeting with the official. The protest turned chaotic when the demonstrators allegedly broke through barricades and forced their way into the premises after finding the gates locked.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, while addressing a press conference at the state secretariat, said at least six police personnel were injured in the incident.

"We would request the teachers that whenever they have any protest or need to submit deputation, we ourselves would facilitate it. We are not against teachers and respect them and are sympathetic towards them," he said.

The Kolkata Police claimed that it was compelled to use mild force to disperse the mob and prevent further injuries and damage to property.

"It is clarified that outside the Kasba DI office, an unruly mob launched an unprovoked and violent attack on police personnel, including women police. Four male and two female police personnel sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment. Police were compelled to use mild force to disperse the mob and prevent further injuries and damage to property. Investigation into the incident is underway," Kolkata Police posted on X.

However, the protesters claimed the police resorted to lathi-charge to break up what they described as a peaceful demonstration.

"We are qualified, that is why we were appointed. We lost our jobs unfairly and now the police are beating us up for protesting peacefully," one of the protesters said.

The Supreme Court last week declared the appointment of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staffers in state-run and state-aided schools as "vitiated and tainted," leading to massive unrest among those who lost their jobs.

Protests were also witnessed in several other districts, including Hooghly, Malda, Darjeeling, Dakshin Dinajpur, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Nadia, and Murshidabad, as protesters symbolically locked DI offices and staged protests.

In Hooghly, agitators blocked GT Road and demanded that the government reinstate eligible candidates. In Malda's English Bazaar, protesters clashed with police outside the DI office.

In Balurghat, protesters broke through police barricades and entered the DI office compound, locked gates and staged a sit-in, demanding that only eligible candidates be reinstated or be placed in a new merit list if the state planned fresh recruitment.

In Purba Medinipur's Tamluk, agitators staged a protest outside the DI office after locking the gates. They reportedly prevented even staffers from entering the building. In Krishnanagar, protesters blocked roads and set tyres ablaze outside the DI office. A large contingent of police was deployed to control the situation.

Gangopadhayay, after cancelling the meeting with Basu, told reporters, "I cancelled my meeting with the education minister to protest the brutal lathi-charge on qualified teachers. The government has failed to protect the deserving candidates. I was supposed to submit a letter to the minister but I tore it up in protest."

"The responsibility to save the jobs of eligible candidates lies with the CM. It is because of her interference that SSC is unable to publish the list of qualified and unqualified candidates," the BJP MP alleged.

State BJP president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar criticised the police for using force against protesting teachers and other staffers who had lost their jobs. He alleged that the police did not show the same level of action when violence broke out in Jangipur, in Murshidabad district, during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act on Tuesday.

Basu expressed disappointment after Ganguly failed to attend the meeting aimed at resolving the ongoing teacher recruitment crisis through dialogue.

"I waited for him. But I was informed that he would not come to the meeting," Basu told reporters, stressing that it was a missed opportunity to find a peaceful solution through discussion.

Asked about the recent protests and alleged police action, Basu questioned the timing and intent behind the demonstrations.

"After the meeting with the chief minister and the subsequent plans for dialogue with us, why are these protests still continuing?" he asked.

Banerjee on Monday promised to stand by the eligible candidates affected by the apex court ruling. She also urged them to voluntarily return to their schools and resume duties, while maintaining that the state government respects the court's judgment.