"Those qualified should keep their jobs": BJP's Sukanta Majumdar on SSC teachers protest

Nadia (West Bengal) [India], April 22 (ANI): Union Minister and West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar on Tuesday clarified his party's stance on the ongoing protests by School Service Commission (SSC) teachers in the state, stating that those who are qualified should retain their jobs while unqualified individuals should not be employed.
Majumdar, addressing the issue during a public interaction, emphasised that the BJP believes in merit-based appointments, and those who meet the necessary qualifications should be allowed to continue in their positions. He further added that individuals who are found guilty of misconduct should face legal action and be sent to jail.
"BJP's stand is clear. BJP wants that those who are qualified should keep their jobs; those who are unqualified will naturally not get their jobs... Those who committed theft should be sent to jail. Till the time the culprits are not sent to jail, this problem cannot be solved," Majumdar said.
On Monday, teachers recruited through the SSC staged a 'dharna' outside the SSC office in Kolkata, protesting against the Mamata Banerjee-led State Government after nearly 26,000 teachers lost their jobs in connection with the SSC recruitment case, following a Supreme Court judgement on April 3.
The apex court in its verdict stated that the appointment process was "tainted" after it upheld the Calcutta High Court's decision to quash the recruitment of the teaching and non-teaching staff by the West Bengal SSC in 2016 for state-run and aided schools.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar found that the West Bengal SSC's selection process was based on large-scale manipulations and fraud.
"In our opinion, this is a case wherein the entire selection process has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution. Manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with the attempted cover-up, have dented the selection process beyond repair and partial redemption. The credibility and legitimacy of the selection are denuded", the apex court bench stated in its judgement.
The apex court further found no reason to interfere with the High Court's direction that the services of all "tainted" candidates should be terminated and that they should be required to refund any salaries/payments received.
"Since their appointments were the result of fraud, this amounts to cheating. Therefore, we see no justification to alter this direction," the bench added.
The top court's verdict came on a petition filed by the West Bengal government that challenged an April 2022 order of the Calcutta High Court, which had cancelled the recruitment of more than 26,000 teachers and other staff for state-run and aided schools. The Supreme Court had reserved its judgement in the matter on February 10. (ANI)