CPI-M moves HC with prayer for suo motu contempt against Mamata Banerjee

CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikash Bhattacharya Wednesday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking suo motu contempt against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s comments on dismissal of thousands of teaching and non-teaching staff in West Bengal following petitions before the court. Bhattacharya, who is a senior advocate and had appeared for many candidates in different cases, orally prayed before a division bench presided by Justice T S Sivagnanam that contempt proceedings be also initiated against her.

The division bench asked Bhattacharya to make the submissions in an affidavit before the court following which it will take a decision.

Banerjee during a programme at Alipore Court here on Tuesday spoke on the dismissal of teaching and non-teaching staff in state government-sponsored and aided schools on the HC’s orders on petitions filed by candidates, who claimed to have been deprived of jobs owing to irregularities in the recruitment process.

She said that some political persons are making efforts to take away jobs.

Banerjee also said that those responsible for the irregularities should be punished, while those who lost the jobs be given a fresh chance so that they can get back their jobs.

The HC has through different orders directed the dismissal of around 3000 staff as it held that serious irregularities were committed in the recruitments of teaching and non-teaching staff in state government-sponsored and aided schools.

The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education had given these jobs in various schools across the state on the recommendation of the state’s School Service Commission.