Taking a dig at the BJP, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday dubbed it a "job-eater" and said the people of West Bengal would not forgive its leaders for "conspiring to snatch" the livelihood of nearly 26,000 teachers.
Addressing an election rally in support of TMC's Ghatal candidate Dev, Banerjee also attacked the CPI(M) and Congress in the same breath, calling the two parties "eyes and ears" of the BJP in the state.
"You have heard about maneater tigers, but have you heard about the job-eater BJP? Did you see the glee on the face of the leaders of the BJP, CPI(M) and Congress after so many people were rendered jobless by the court?" she asked the people at the rally.
"I don't want to comment on the judgement or say anything about the judges. But after taking away the jobs of 26,000 youths, you are asking them to return the salary along with 12 per cent interest. Can you take jobs like that? Give them a chance to rectify. How can 26,000 people be treated in such a way?" she asked.
The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered the cancellation of appointments of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made through the recruitment process of State Level Selection Test-2016 (SLST) in state-run schools, declaring the selection process as "null and void".
Banerjee said the "conspiracy" was evident from the reactions of the leaders of BJP, CPI(M) and Congress after the court gave its verdict.
"The people of West Bengal will not forgive these parties for their roles. They also filed PILs in the court and stalled any new initiative by the state government to fix the anomalies," she said.
Banerjee alleged the opposition BJP was again "conspiring" to stall the state government's decision to recruit 10 lakh people.
"They don't want to wipe the tears from the faces of the unemployed youth, but want to use them for winning the elections," she claimed.
"If 26,000 teachers go, who will teach in the state-run schools? Will RSS now take over?" she asked.
She called the CPI(M) and Congress "eyes and ears of the BJP" in West Bengal.
"The INDIA bloc does not exist in West Bengal. Voting for the CPI(M) and Congress will strengthen the hands of PM Narendra Modi. It is the TMC, which is fighting the communal and undemocratic BJP here," she claimed.
Banerjee also criticised the BJP, alleging that it forced the EC to hold a seve-phase election in West Bengal without caring about the scorching heat.
"If Tamil Nadu with 40 seats can have a single-phase poll, why should Bengal with 42 seats be subjected to such a grueling schedule? BJP does not care about the people," she said.
Banerjee accused the Centre of depriving West Bengal of funds for social welfare schemes, and said that her government would arrange the money.
"What happened to the promise of giving Rs 15 lakh in people's bank accounts?" she questioned.
She also alleged that the BJP was attempting religious polarisation.
Bengali superstar Dev is seeking re-election from the Ghatal seat for a third consecutive term. This time, he is up against BJP's Hiran Chatterjee, another film star who became an MLA in 2021 by winning the Kharagpur Sadar seat. The CPI fielded Tapan Ganguly in Ghatal.
Later in the day, Banerjee addressed a rally in Garbeta for the party's Jhargram candidate Kalipada Soren.
She said leaders of the BJP never came to the region when blood-shed was a daily affair because of Maoist activities.
"It was me as the opposition leader who would come to stand with the people during those times. Now, they are talking big," she said.
Banerjee said she always believed in the slogan of 'badla noy, badal chai' (want change, not revenge) that she gave during the 2011 assembly elections in which her TMC ousted the CPI(M)-led Left Front.
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