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The year 2025 proved to be a challenging one for West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC). The state witnessed unsettling developments across areas such as communal harmony, the education system, sports, and internal party dynamics. In several instances, lapses within the TMC leadership could not be ignored, forcing the party to adopt a defensive stance that included public apology by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the resignation of a prominent minister.

 

These events are likely to leave a lasting mark on the memory of Bengal’s people.

 

Murshidabad violence

In April, Murshidabad district witnessed a series of communal violence claiming lives of a father and his son in April during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. Hundreds of homes were pelted with stones and vandalised. This led to unrest in the region. Many Hindu families were forced to vacate their homes, and their properties, including cattle, were torched by rioters. Over 400 Hindus, including women and children, were displaced from affected areas and took shelter in the neighbouring Malda district. In response, Calcutta High Court ordered the deployment of central forces to restore order.

 

 26,000 teaching and non-teaching jobs terminated

The Supreme Court, in an unprecedented verdict delivered on April 3, 2025, and reaffirmed by a dismissal of review petitions in August 2025, upheld the cancellation of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching jobs in West Bengal schools due to a widespread "cash-for-jobs" scam. The entire 2016 recruitment process was declared null and void. The case stems from the 2016 West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment drive for assistant teachers in classes 9-12 and Group C and D staff in government-aided schools.  A Calcutta High Court-ordered CBI investigation uncovered systemic fraud, including manipulation of Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets, "rank jumps," and the appointment of candidates who were not on the merit list or even absent from the exams.

 

Supernumerary posts were illegally created to accommodate these fraudulent appointments. The Calcutta High Court initially annulled the entire panel of 25,753 appointments in April 2024, a decision the state government challenged in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court bench, led by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, agreed with the High Court that the entire selection process was "tainted beyond resolution". The court noted that it was impossible to segregate the "tainted" from the "untainted" candidates due to the lack of original OMR sheets and proper records, making a blanket cancellation necessary to preserve public faith in the system.

 

Gang-rape in law college

The 2025 South Calcutta Law College gang-rape case involved the alleged assault of a student on campus in Kasba, Kolkata. Four individuals were arrested, including an alumnus with ties to the TMC’s youth wing and a history of prior harassment complaints, two current students, and a security guard. The incident reportedly took place on June 25, 2025, in the security guard’s room. Following a complaint at Kasba police station, authorities acted swiftly to apprehend the suspects. Police collected evidence, including witness statements and forensic analysis such as gait assessment, and reports suggested that parts of the assault may have been recorded on video. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted, and the case was later transferred to the Detective Department. A charge sheet was filed within two months of the incident, and the Calcutta High Court has monitored key aspects of the investigation, ensuring due process and oversight.

 

Chaos at Messi’s event

Lionel Messi's G.O.A.T. India Tour 2025 faced major disruption at its opening event in Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium, overshadowed by crowd unrest and organisational lapses. The chaos prompted widespread media coverage, an official investigation, a public apology from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and the resignation of Sports Minister Arup Biswas. Thousands of fans, many of whom had paid up to Rs 10,000 or more for tickets, flocked to the stadium to see the football icon. However, Messi’s planned activities were abruptly reduced to around 20 minutes due to security concerns and mismanagement, leaving many attendees unable to catch a glimpse of the star. The situation escalated when fans, frustrated by congestion and extensive VVIP arrangements, began protesting, tearing up seats, throwing water bottles and chairs, and invading sections of the pitch. Police intervened and used mild force to control the unrest and restore order. Following the incident, Shatadru Dutta, the chief organiser of the event, was arrested by Kolkata police in connection with the mismanagement and resulting chaos, highlighting serious lapses in planning and crowd management for high-profile public events.

 

Emergence of new political outfit

Suspended TMC MLA from Murshidabad’s Bharatpur, Humayun Kabir, in December announced the launch of his new political party, the Janata Unnayan Party, claiming it would play a decisive role in West Bengal’s 2026 Assembly elections by fielding candidates in over 150 of the state’s 294 constituencies. Kabir, who was suspended from the TMC earlier this month on charges of anti-party activities following his announcement to construct a replica of the Babri Mosque in Beldanga, said the name of his new party was carefully chosen to avoid any reference to either ‘Congress’ or ‘Trinamool’. Kabir has a long history of shifting political affiliations. He was elected as a Congress legislator in the 2011 Assembly elections that ended the Left Front’s 34-year rule in West Bengal, later joined the Trinamool Congress, then moved to the BJP before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections where he unsuccessfully contested from Murshidabad, and subsequently rejoined the TMC before the 2021 Assembly elections, winning again from Bharatpur. His suspension came just days before the scheduled foundation stone-laying ceremony for the Babri Mosque replica in Beldanga, and the announcement of the Janata Unnayan Party marks his latest attempt to establish an independent political footprint in the state.

 

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