Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday pledged that the BJP would stand
by those teachers whose appointments had been cancelled by Calcutta High Court recently though they had landed jobs rightfully.

The high court invalidated the appointments of 25,753 teaching and non-teaching employees at state-sponsored and aided schools because of irregularities in the State Level Selection Test, 2016.

While promising to stand by those whose appointments were not tainted by charges of corruption, Modi said the BJP’s Bengal unit would set up a legal cell and a social media platform to assist them.

“The TMC extortionists cheated lakhs of youths in the recruitment of teachers…. You saw what kind of irregularities took place when it was found that machines got tired of counting bundles of currency notes. Many genuine teachers, who have proper documents, are also suffering because of the sin of others.… I have suggested that the Bengal BJP set up a legal cell and a social media platform to assist genuine teachers who lost their jobs,” Modi said during an election rally in Burdwan on Friday.

While addressing a rally in East Burdwan’s Raina later in the day, chief minister Mamata Banerjee tore into Modi and the BJP, holding them responsible for “eating 26,000 jobs”.

“Where were you Modi babu? You have eaten 26,000 jobs. Your party has eaten these jobs. Your party and the CPM have together eaten the jobs…. Your assistance is not required. The Bengal government has already engaged lawyers in the Supreme Court. The education department has also engaged lawyers. We would not let the youths lose their jobs,” said Mamata.

As a large number of teachers not tainted by chargesof corruption became the high court order’s collateral damage, Mamata held the Opposition, especially the BJP, responsible for the job losses.

The Prime Minister’s bid to address the concerns of genuine teachers who lost their jobs reflected the BJP’s unease with Mamata’s consistent effort to blame the saffron camp for the high court order.

“Elections have been held only in six Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal so far and another 36 seats will go to the polls in the remaining five phases. Most of the affected teachers are residents of these 36 constituencies. So, the Prime Minister had to send a message particularly after the chief minister had vowed to stand by the teachers who lost jobs,” said a BJP leader.