Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attacked the BJP on Friday, calling it a “job-eater” and saying the people of West Bengal would not forgive its leaders for “conspiring to snatch” the livelihoods of over 26,000 teachers.
Addressing an election rally in favour of the TMC’s Ghatal candidate Dev, Banerjee simultaneously attacked the CPI (M) and Congress, referring to the two parties as the BJP’s “eyes and ears” in the state.
“You’ve heard about man-eating tigers, but what about the job-eating BJP? Did you notice the delight on the faces of the leaders of the BJP, CPI(M), and Congress when the court declared so many people unemployed?” she questioned the rally attendees.
“I don’t want to comment on the decision or speak about the judges. However, after taking away the jobs of 26,000 young people, you are asking them to repay their salaries plus 12% interest. Can you accept work like that? Give them an opportunity to make things right. “How can 26,000 people be treated in such a manner?” she wondered.
The Calcutta High Court ruled on Monday that the appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching personnel made under the State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) recruitment procedure at state-run schools were “null and void.”.
Banerjee claimed the “conspiracy” was clear in the reactions of BJP, CPI(M), and Congress leaders following the court’s decision.
“The people of West Bengal will not forgive these parties for their actions.” They also filed PILs in court, stifling any fresh move by the state government to address the discrepancies,” she stated.
Banerjee claimed the opposition BJP was once again “conspiring” to stymie the state government’s intention to hire 10 lakh workers.
“They don’t want to wipe the tears from the faces of the unemployed youth, but want to use them for winning the elections,” she said.
“If 26,000 teachers leave, who will teach in state-run schools?” “Will RSS now take over?” she inquired.
She referred to the CPI(M) and Congress as the “eyes and ears of the BJP” in West Bengal.
“The INDIA bloc does not exist in West Bengal.” Voting for the CPI(M) and Congress will strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s hands. The TMC is fighting the sectarian and undemocratic BJP here,” she stated.
Banerjee also accused the BJP of forcing the EC to hold a seven-phase poll in West Bengal despite the blazing heat.
“If Tamil Nadu, with 40 seats, can have a single-phase election, why should Bengal, with 42 seats, be forced to such a demanding schedule? “The BJP does not care about the people,” she stated.
Banerjee accused the Centre of denying West Bengal of cash for social welfare initiatives, claiming that her administration will provide for the money.
“What happened to the promise of giving Rs 15 lakh in people’s bank accounts?” she asked.
She also said that the BJP was attempting religious divisiveness.
Dev, the Bengali celebrity, is running for re-election in Ghatal for the third time in a row. This time, he faces Hiran Chatterjee of the BJP, another film star who became an MLA in 2021 after winning the Kharagpur Sadar seat. Tapan Ganguly was the CPI’s candidate in Ghatal.
Later in the day, Banerjee spoke at a rally in Garbeta for the party’s Jhargram candidate, Kalipada Soren.
She said that BJP officials never visited the region while Maoist operations were causing bloodshed on a daily basis.
“It was I, as the opposition leader, who came to support the people during those times. “Now they’re talking big,” she remarked.
Banerjee stated that she has always believed in the phrase ‘badla noy, badal chai’ (desire change, not revenge), which she used during the 2011 assembly elections, in which her TMC defeated the CPI-led Left Front.
