'Can be jailed for saying ...': Mamata Banerjee's strong remarks after Supreme Court setback for teachers

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee spoke out strongly against the Supreme Court verdict cancelling jobs of nearly 26,000 teachers in the state, saying that she hasn't accepted the ruling.

"Please don't consider that we have accepted it... we are not stone-hearted, and I can even be jailed for saying this, but I don't care," she said while addressing the sacked teachers in Kolkata.

The TMC supremo expressed solidarity with those who lost their jobs and said that her government will do everything to restore their dignity.

"I will not allow eligible candidates to lose school jobs," she said.

Mamata added that though she is bound by the Supreme Court verdict, the TMC government will take proactive steps to ensure that the situation is handled with utmost care and fairness.

She also rejected allegations that her government was involved in discrepancies in the job appointments, adding that her name is being dragged into something about which she has no inkling.

Last week, Mamata had said she has the highest regard for the judiciary but could not accept the Supreme Court's verdict invalidating the appointments of 25,753 teachers and other staff in state-run schools.

While I have the highest respect for the judiciary and judges, I cannot accept the judgment from a humanitarian point of view," she said.

"As a citizen of this country, I have every right to an opinion. I respect the judge and the judiciary, but I can't agree with the judgment," she added.

A Supreme Court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld a Calcutta High Court verdict dated April 22, 2024, annulling the appointments and ordering the Trinamool Congress government in the state to initiate a fresh selection process.

Mamata had said that her lawyers will review the matter. "If the BJP wants to send me to jail for supporting them, they can. Catch me if you can," she added.