Bengal BJP slams TMC govt over 'brutal' police action on agitating school teachers

Kolkata: The BJP on Friday launched a blistering attack on West Bengal's TMC government, calling the police action on agitating school teachers a day ago, a "horrifying display of brutality".

The demonstration, led by jobless teachers who had cleared the 2016 School Service Commission (SSC) exam but lost their appointments following a recent court order, escalated outside Bikash Bhavan — the headquarters of the state education department — on Thursday.

Protesters alleged that many of them were beaten up during a baton-charge by the police, and several sustained serious injuries.

Among the injured was a woman teacher whose leg was reportedly broken, while another suffered a head injury.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the injured women lay on the ground, screaming in pain and sobbing, as the police continued the lathi-charge instead of offering help.

Amid mounting outrage, BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of authoritarianism and shielding the corrupt.

“If the cabinet decides to protect thieves, then those in the council of ministers should be in jail,” Adhikari said.

“This issue is close to my heart because I got my first job through this very exam. Yesterday, a university gold medallist was crying because of Mamata Banerjee. If anyone is responsible for that, it is Mamata Banerjee and her entire cabinet," the BJP leader claimed.

Adhikari alleged that honest and deserving candidates had been denied jobs despite their qualifications, while recruitment was "manipulated for political gain".

He also accused the police of acting at the behest of the ruling party, instead of protecting citizens.

Echoing Adhikari's sentiments, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said, "Mamata Banerjee’s advisors told her to mix milk with water so that no one can differentiate them — meaning, protect the guilty by lumping them with the innocent. But the court exposed this trick...the police action on protesting teachers was a horrifying display of brutality."

He further added, “Mamata Banerjee has turned West Bengal into a marketplace — if you want to buy a teaching job, just pay money. Those who are eligible should instead be given compensation from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.” A fresh wave of protests erupted on Friday morning as many of the injured returned to the demonstration site, demanding immediate reinstatement.

Protesters from the Deserving Teachers' Rights Forum said they would not accept a fresh recruitment test and insisted on being given back the jobs they earned through merit.

Teachers participating in the protest said they spent the night outside Bikash Bhavan, braving injuries and discomfort.

"We are not going anywhere until justice is served," one protester said.

Tensions remain high around the Education Department building, with a heavy deployment of police in the complex.

Case lodged against instigators of unrest outside Bengal education HQ: Police

West Bengal Police on Friday said 19 of its personnel were injured, one of them seriously, during clashes with agitating school teachers outside the state education department headquarters in Salt Lake here and a suo motu case had been lodged against persons identified as instigators of the unrest.

Talking to reporters, ADG (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim and IG South Bengal Supratim Sarkar said police had exercised maximum restraint for over seven hours on Thursday evening before taking action to assist government employees "trapped inside" Bikash Bhavan, the state education department headquarters.

"Nineteen policemen were injured, and one is serious. We have videos and evidence against those who instigated the agitation yesterday. We will take legal action against them," Sarkar said at Bhawani Bhavan, the West Bengal Police Headquarters.

He clarified that police intervention was solely to ensure the safe exit for government employees from the building, not to suppress the protest.

"The whole police action was only done to ensure that the government employees trapped inside Bikash Bhavan could come out and return home after an entire day’s work. We have no intention to stop, alter or disrupt the protest," Sarkar added.

ADG Shamim said, "Despite all the provocations — damaging government property, occupying premises — police exercised maximum restraint, respecting the emotions of the agitators," he said.

"We spoke to the agitators’ leadership and repeatedly requested them to allow the trapped employees to leave. There was even a pregnant woman inside. The employees were calling police in distress."

As police attempted to assist those stuck inside, they were reportedly pelted with stones and plastic bottles, leading to a standoff.

"In that standoff, minimum force was used, and we ensured that those trapped inside were safely evacuated," he said, adding that there were 58 other departments, other than the education department, housed inside Bikash Bhavan.