mamata-blames-outsiders-for-inciting-unemployed-teachers-stir

As tensions rise outside Bikash Bhavan over protests by a section of unemployed teachers, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday hit out sharply, blaming opposition forces for allegedly inciting the demonstrators.

 

Mamata strongly suggested that those now presenting themselves as champions of the unemployed were, in fact, responsible for their plight. “Those who incited them have filed cases against them. Jobs did not go for us,” she stated.

 

Taking a direct jab at the opposition, Mamata added, “The gurus of the job-hunting drama have today become the gurus of protecting the interests of the unemployed. I have objections to this.”

 

The protests erupted after the Supreme Court's verdict in the SSC recruitment case led to the cancellation of more than 26,000 appointments, leaving many jobless.

 

 

The chief minister stressed that she had already met with affected candidates at the Netaji Indoor Stadium, where she promised to examine their situation within the boundaries of the law. Reiterating her government’s position, she said, “There is, was, and will be enough sympathy for them. I had said in the meeting that I will review and act according to the court’s order. There is an obligation that everyone must understand.”

 

However, Mamata also questioned the nature and composition of the protest. According to her, the current movement seems to be driven more by “outsiders” than by the affected teachers themselves. She stressed that no movement should involve road blockades or detaining people, hinting at a shift in the tone of the agitation.

 

Meanwhile, her nephew and TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee also commented on the protest, urging restraint. He acknowledged the right of the teachers to protest but insisted that demonstrations should remain non-violent and democratic.

 

“The movement is never radical, it is not violent,” he said, invoking Mahatma Gandhi’s principles of non-violence.

 

Despite these remarks from the state’s top leadership, protesters continue to express disappointment, claiming that while the government has given verbal assurances, they still see “no light of hope” in terms of actual resolution. The situation remains volatile, particularly after recent incidents of police lathicharge, which have further inflamed tensions on the ground.