Kolkata/IBNS: West Bengal government job losers on Thursday held a massive rally in downtown Kolkata protesting against an assault on them by police during an agitation in Kasba a day ago.

The protesters held the rally from Sealdah to Esplanade raising their voices against the Mamata Banerjee government, which is accused of corruption in a section of the recruitment process of almost 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff in 2016.

"The way police attacked the unarmed teachers is shameful. Teachers as well as professors and principals of colleges, doctors have joined us in the protest rally," said Amit Ranjan Bhunia, who was kicked by a cop during protests on Wednesday. 

Police resorted to a lathi charge to disperse a large number of protesting teachers and non-teaching staff members, who recently lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order, when they were demonstrating outside the office of the district inspector of schools in the Kasba area of Kolkata on Wednesday.

According to reports, police officers were caught on camera kicking some of the protesting teachers.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police issued a clarification and said an 'unruly mob' launched an unprovoked and violent attack on police personnel during the protest.

"It is clarified that outside the Kasba DI Office, an unruly mob launched an unprovoked and violent attack on police personnel, including women police," the police posted on X.

Police said four male and two female police personnel sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment.

"Police were compelled to use mild force to disperse the mob and prevent further injuries and damage to property. Investigation into the incident is underway," police said on X.

Mamata appeals to job losers to give voluntary services

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appealed to the job losers to provide voluntary services in the respective schools until the Supreme Court hears and passes a judgement on the review petition filed by the State.

The Chief Minister also said she has multiple plans ready to accommodate the job losers who are deserving candidates if the Supreme Court delivers an unfavourable judgment on the review petition.

SC order

In a massive judgment, the Supreme Court recently cancelled appointments of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff by the School Service Commission (SSC) upholding the Calcutta High Court's order.

The top court passed the order after the SSC failed to provide two separate lists of deserving and undeserving candidates after the government faced corruption allegations in the recruitment process.

A top court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the selection process was "vitiated and tainted by fraud".

In April 2024, the Calcutta High Court had cancelled recruitment of nearly 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff in government-sponsored and government-aided schools, dismissing the entire 2016 teacher recruitment panel.

The panel was constituted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

Erstwhile state education minister Partha Chatterjee, former primary education board president and Trinamool MLA Manik Bhattacharya, youth leader Kuntal Ghosh are among the people who were arrested so far in connection with the scam.