'You only need to worry about your job, not who's tainted': Mamata tells protesting teachers

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was spealing at an event in Midnapore.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday urged protesting teachers to return to work, assuring them that her government will protect their salaries.

Thousands of teachers, whose appointments were annulled following a Supreme Court verdict, continued their overnight protests outside the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) headquarters in Salt Lake on Tuesday.

“You don’t need to worry about who is tainted and who is not. You only need to worry about whether you have your job and whether you are getting your salaries on time. The list to identify the tainted and untainted teachers remains with the government and the courts. We assure that your jobs are safe for now and you will get your salaries. Please return to your schools and resume classes. I have spoken about this several times since last night. We are with you,” Banerjee said at an administrative programme in Midnapore.

The CM said a review petition for Group C and Group D staff, who have lost their jobs, will also be filed before the Supreme Court and “keep your faith in us till then”.

In a jolt to the Mamata Banerjee government, the Supreme Court this month upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to annul the appointments of 25,000 teaching and non-teaching staff by the state School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016 over an alleged school jobs-for-cash scam

On Murshidabad violence 

The CM asserted that “outsiders” were responsible for the violence that erupted in parts of Murshidabad over the Waqf Act, and said she would visit the troubled areas in the first week of May to evaluate the situation.

Banerjee also said her government would “soon expose the conspirators” behind the riots that took place in two wards of Dhulian in the district.

"The violence was unfortunate. We do not want riots. Some outsiders orchestrated it, but we will expose them and their conspiracy," she said.

"I have promised the families of those killed in the violence to give a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each. We will also rebuild their houses under the 'Banglar Bari' scheme... I will be going there in the first week of May and evaluate the situation,” Banerjee said.

Governor C V Ananda Bose had on April 19 met family members of a man and his son, who were killed during violence over anti-Waqf (Amendment) Act protests in Murshidabad district, and assured them of all possible support.

At least three people, including a father and son, died and over 280 have been arrested in connection with the violence earlier this month.

(With PTI inputs)