Today(on 25th April),Lawyers petition Calcutta High Court to address Mamata Banerjee’s alleged accusation of the court being “sold out” after its decision on teacher appointments.
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KOLKATA: Today(on 25th April), A group of lawyers has called upon the Calcutta High Court to take Suo motu cognizance of the remarks made by Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal and leader of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) party, against the High Court.
The lawyers have expressed their concerns over the Chief Minister’s alleged statement that the High Court has been “sold out.” These remarks came in response to the High Court’s decision to annul the appointment of approximately 24,000 teachers in the school jobs for cash case.
The lawyers, including senior advocate and Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)] leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, have urged the Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya to take strict action against the Chief Minister for her “contemptuous” statements.
ALSO READ: West Bengal Moves Supreme Court: “Why 24k School Job Appointments Were Cancelled?”
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya emphasized the need for the court to address the issue seriously, stating-
“I request that the court initiates suo motu proceedings. If necessary, I am willing to file a criminal contempt petition, but obtaining permission from the Advocate General would be challenging. However, I can submit an affidavit detailing the statements made, urging the court to take cognizance. Otherwise, it undermines our credibility when allegations of the High Court being compromised surface, causing ridicule and disbelief among other courts.”
Bhattacharya further expressed concern that Chief Minister Banerjee has persistently made such statements to undermine the court’s credibility in the eyes of the public.
He highlighted the need for the court to take note of these statements and stated-
“We will maintain translations of the headings… Now, it’s being reported that the ‘High Court has been sold out.’ This statement is attributed to the Hon’ble Chief Minister, not just on one occasion, but persistently following the court’s judgment. It’s a consistent effort aimed at undermining the High Court’s credibility in the public eye. I will submit an affidavit, supported by English newspaper reports. I urge the court to take cognizance of this matter.”
In response to the lawyers’ pleas, the Court inquired about the possibility of filing a petition to formally document the issue. Bhattacharya assured the Court that he would submit an affidavit containing the relevant reports on the Chief Minister’s remarks.
He committed to completing the necessary documentation by 2 PM on Thursday, when the Court is expected to reconvene to address the matter further.
Another lawyer present in the courtroom expressed his intention to prepare a petition as well. The Court acknowledged this and indicated that such a petition would be accepted.
Earlier this week, a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court invalidated approximately 24,000 appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff that were made in 2016 by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC). The court deemed the recruitment process to be flawed and ordered the recruited candidates to return the salaries they had received, considering their appointments illegal.
