A day after the Supreme Court cancelled over 25,000 school appointments in West Bengal, judge-turned-BJP MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Friday urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to rise above politics and form a committee to separate deserving candidates from the tainted in the recently quashed recruitment drive.
The apex court had on Thursday upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict dated 22 April 2024, invalidating the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff recruited through the State’s School Service Commission (SSC).
The Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice Sanjay Kumar, termed the selection process “vitiated and tainted”.
Gangopadhyay, addressing reporters on Parliament premises, said, “Rising above politics, my humble plea to Didi (Banerjee) is to take initiative to constitute such a committee. So far my knowledge and experience goes, it is possible to differentiate between those who secured the job through fraudulent means and those who got it by their merit and hard work.”
The Tamluk MP proposed that a review petition be filed in the Supreme Court for preparing a list of those who had secured jobs honestly.
“We will urge the Supreme Court: Your honour, please note these people have not committed any impropriety. Please note these people don't have any relation with the tainted ones. I think this can be possible even now.”
Suggesting the constitution of a panel headed by the education minister, Gangopadhyay said it could include the advocate general, the SSC chairman, and lawyers who had been engaged in the litigation, including CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya. “If my name is considered, I can also be part of the committee,” he said.
The BJP MP had earlier stated that separation of deserving and undeserving candidates was a viable process “if there is will”.
However, his suggestion was swiftly rejected by the ruling Trinamul Congress. Senior TMC MP and lawyer Kalyan Bandyopadhyay said, “After the Supreme Court's order, there cannot be further reconciliation or settlement of the issue. The only option left is to act as directed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court.”
Taking a swipe at the BJP MP’s perceived political ambitions, Bandyopadhyay added, “He is making such comments for political interest. He is demanding the CM’s resignation one day and urging her to form a committee after 24 hours.”
Veteran Trinamul MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay echoed similar sentiments. “Gangopadhyay had joined the BJP to suit his political ambition. He has been criticising CM Mamata Banerjee for quite some time. His comments have no significance.”
On Thursday, Gangopadhyay had laid the blame for the crisis squarely on Banerjee, alleging that the administration's “ineptitude” had led to deserving candidates being “victimised”.
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