Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], April 7 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party leader Locket Chatterjee and party workers were detained by police during their protest against the West Bengal government on Monday.

They were protesting on the issue of teachers who lost their jobs as the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court order cancelling the appointment of more than 25,000 staff in West Bengal schools by the Service Commission (SSC).

BJP MLA Hiranmoy Chattopadhyay, aka Hiran Chatterjee, said that agitation will continue for the 26000 families who lost their jobs.

'Our SC has already given a verdict, and she is still being dramatic. What will the 26000 people who lost their jobs what will do now? What is their future now? She has finished the future of West Bengal. She should resign immediately. I will also raise the question of why the IAS officers involved are not being held accountable or punished by the Supreme Court. Our agitation will continue for the 26000 families who lost their job,' Chattopadhyay said.

Earlier today, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee met with the teachers who lost their jobs after Supreme Court upheld Calcutta High Court's order to cancel the appointment of over 25,000 staff in Bengal schools by SSC.

After meeting with the Chief Minister, Meenakshi Singh, one of the affected teachers, expressed concern about her future and the well-being of her family after losing her job.

'I have all my documents. I have gone through every process. I am not ineligible. They have taken away our jobs by putting a stain on me that I am ineligible. They need to prove it. We haven't given anyone money for any job. Today, they (state govt) are giving us a 'lollipop'. Why will we do the social service? What will happen to our future? We have a family and kids. We are not in a mental state to appear for a re-exam,' she said.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld the Calcutta High Court's decision to quash the recruitment of more than 25,000 teachers and non-teaching staff by the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) in 2016 for the state-run and aided schools.

A bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar found that the West Bengal SSC's selection process was based on large-scale manipulations and fraud.

'In our opinion, this is a case wherein the entire selection process has been vitiated and tainted beyond resolution. Manipulations and frauds on a large scale, coupled with the attempted cover-up, have dented the selection process beyond repair and partial redemption. The credibility and legitimacy of the selection are denuded', the apex court bench stated in its judgement.

The apex court found no reason to interfere with the High Court's direction that the services of 'tainted' candidates must be terminated and that they should be required to refund any salaries/payments received.

'Since their appointments were the result of fraud, this amounts to cheating. Therefore, we see no justification to alter this direction', the bench added.

The top court's verdict came on a petition filed by the West Bengal government that challenged an April 2022 order of the Calcutta High Court, which had cancelled the recruitment of more than 25,000 teachers and other staff for state-run and aided schools.

The top court had reserved its verdict in the matter on February 10. (ANI)