West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff on Monday who lost their jobs after the Supreme Court cancelled over 25,000 school appointments, citing corruption and irregularities in the recruitment process.

Addressing a massive gathering at Kolkata’s Netaji Indoor Stadium, Banerjee extended her full support to the affected individuals, saying, “I am with you. I will fight for your dignity and rights.” Despite the Supreme Court ruling, she assured that the state would explore all legal and administrative options to safeguard the interests of eligible candidates.

“I will not let genuine candidates suffer. Even if it means going to jail, I am ready,” she declared, receiving loud applause from the crowd.

Mamata also expressed frustration that her name was being unfairly associated with the scam, claiming she had no involvement in the recruitment process. She emphasized that plans are being formulated to prevent job losses and service interruptions for those wrongfully dismissed.

The event saw overwhelming attendance, with many without official passes trying to enter the venue, causing security issues and crowd management challenges, as reported by PTI.

This marked her first significant public outreach after the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict, which annulled thousands of appointments made by the School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016 due to procedural lapses and irregularities.

Political Fallout:

Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari and BJP legislators staged a protest demanding Mamata Banerjee’s resignation. Adhikari accused her and her nephew of being involved in the scam, alleging a ₹700 crore bribe.

He declared, “Mamata Banerjee should be in jail. She is the biggest beneficiary of this scam.”

Earlier, BJP leaders had organized a protest march, condemning the large-scale corruption in teacher recruitment and calling for accountability from the Trinamool Congress government.