Have every right to not accept the verdict: Mamata Banerjee reacts to SC order on SSC recruitment case

Mamata Banerjee

Hours after the Supreme Court upheld an order by the Calcutta High Court that invalidated the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staffers in the Bengal’s state-run and state-aided schools in 2016, West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Banerjee said she has every right to not accept the verdict, according to News18.

Reacting to the order by the apex court, the TMC chief said that she has the highest regard for the judiciary, but it is within her right not not accept a particular verdict. She further went on to say that her government is studying the judgement in a detailed manner.

Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party, Banerjee remarked that the party wants to target the education system of the state.

Earlier today, a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sanjiv Khanna and Justice PV Sanjiv Kumar refused to interfere with the High Court decision after noting that the appointments were "vitiated by manipulation and fraud." The case stemmed from the alleged irregularities in the 2016 recruitment process conducted by the West Bengal SSC in which 23 lakh candidates appeared for 24,640 posts and a total of 25,753 appointment letters were issued.

On May 7 last year, the apex court stayed the high court's order over the appointments made by the state's School Service Commission (SSC). The high court instructed those appointed outside the officially available 24,640 vacancies, those recruited after the expiry of the official date, and those who submitted blank OMR sheets but obtained appointments to return all the remunerations and benefits received by them with 12 per cent per interest.

Reacting to the SC order, BJP leader Amit Malviya wrote: "Crushing defeat for West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as the Supreme Court upholds the Calcutta High Court’s decision invalidating nearly 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff appointments made by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016. The Court concurred with the High Court’s finding that the selection process was vitiated by fraud and irreparably tainted."