Late Thursday night, a huge contingent of police removed the 500 TET-qualified (in 2014) candidates from the streets outside the office of West Bengal Board of Primary Education (WBBPE), where they had been staging a sit-in since Monday afternoon seeking job appointment letters.
As the protesters did not voluntarily lift their protest despite repeated requests from the administration, the police had to use force to remove them. Most of the candidates were dragged into police vans. The incident, which took place around 12.30 am, drew flak from Opposition parties.
Even National Award-winning filmmaker Aparna Sen condemned the incident and extended her solidarity to the candidates. тАЬThe Trinamool govt is flouting the basic democratic rights of the hunger-strikers! Section 144 issued against a non-violent protest! Why? I strongly condemn the undemocratic and unethical action of the West Bengal govt!тАЭ Sen wrote in a tweet.
While the protesters alleged that they were deprived of jobs despite appearing in the recruitment process in 2016 and 2021, the primary board has maintained that the agitating candidates will have to go through the fresh recruitment process if they intend to get appointment letters. The board also moved the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday seeking its intervention in the relentless protest by the candidates.
Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari slammed the Mamata Banerjee government for unleashing police тАЬbrutalityтАЭ on protesters. тАЬWBтАЩs current situation is alarming. Mamata Police applying brute force on agitating candidates of Teacher Eligibility Test 2014 candidates at Salt Lake to forcefully end their legitimate sit-in demonstration near the State Primary Education Board Office. WB or HitlerтАЩs Germany?тАЭ Adhikari said in a tweet. The Yuva Morcha of BJP has given a call for a massive protest on Friday.
Condemning the incident, BJP MLA Agnimitra Paul said, тАЬPolice have beaten up young protesters, including women, after dusk. We will not tolerate this kind of attack and there will be protests all over the state against the high-handedness of state police today.тАЭ
CPM youth wing DYFI leader Minakshi Mukherjee on Friday afternoon led a protest at Karunamoyee area in Salt Lake. However, the police stopped the Left workers for violating Section 144 of CrPC which has been imposed in the area. As they attempted to hold a sit-in, policemen removed them from the area.
тАЬThe state government is using police not only to stop the candidates from protesting but also preventing Opposition parties from organising democratic protests. This is unacceptable and unfortunate. We will not be stopped by this,тАЭ said Mukherjee. The Congress has decided to take out a rally in the afternoon to condemn the incident.
Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress defended the police by saying that the men in uniform showed restraint and composure while controlling the situation. тАЬThe police repeatedly requested the protesters to lift their agitation. Later they cleared the area by showing restraint. But that does not justify the unjust protest by the candidates. If all those who have cleared the central government exams want to seek appointment letters, will the opposition parties support them? If they organise a sit-in outside central government agencies demanding jobs then what will the opposition parties say?тАЭ Ghosh asked.
