BJP takes up teachers' salary issue in poll-bound West Bengal, conducts protest march highlighting demands

By Joymala Bagchi
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], February 19 (ANI): With Assembly polls drawing close in
West Bengal, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has taken up the cudgels on behalf of teachers in the state who have intensified their protest against the state government demanding regularisation of jobs and a hike in salary among other issues.
The BJP has sought an immediate addressal of the demands of the teachers.
Today a protest march stretching for about four kilometers organised by BJP teacher's cell from College Square to Dharmatal saw the participation of BJP leaders who highlighted the issues and demands by various teachers' associations.
Teachers along with BJP workers participated in the march.
Today specifically the demands by Upper Primary Sangrami Mancha were forth, which includes updating the primary teacher's posts lying vacant for the last eight years, providing hard copies of the 2015 test certificates and withdrawing cases against protesters.
State BJP president Dilip Ghosh who was present at the protest said: "They (teachers) don't get sufficient salary. The protest is going on in various pockets across the state. They are not being allowed to conduct a sit-in protest. The state government has nothing more to give. BJP has established itself in Bengal. Babu master was bombed as he joined BJP from Trinamool Congress (TMC). 140 party workers from BJP were killed but nobody was punished."
Ghosh alleged that teachers were forced to come out on the roads as they are being deprived of their dues and insulted.
"The teachers do not want to go for election duties. Their lives are at risk. Last year during the general election teachers protested citing insecurity. Once our government comes, Prime Minister said that the Centre will try to give the dues of the teachers," Ghosh said while addressing a public meeting for teachers.
Para-teachers in the state have been sitting on a demonstration outside Bikash Bhawan, the education minister's office in Kolkata since December 8 last year.
On February 16, a group of protesting para teachers in an attempt to enter Mamata Banerjee's residence jumped into the Adi Ganga canal that flows past her residence at Kalighat. They were arrested and later released on bail. (ANI)