Dilip Ghosh blames Mamata, Abhishek for teacher protest unrest, alleges ₹800 Cr recruitment scam cover-up

BJP leader and former MP Dilip Ghosh on Tuesday criticised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee for their statements on the ongoing protest by terminated teachers. Speaking at Eco Park in the morning, Ghosh alleged that both leaders were issuing threats instead of addressing the demands of jobless teachers who are staging a sit-in near Bikash Bhavan.

Thousands of teacher candidates, who were disqualified following alleged irregularities in recruitment by the School Service Commission, began a fresh round of protests from Thursday. The agitation escalated outside Bikash Bhavan with incidents of vandalism, gate-breaking, and police confrontation. Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee urged protesters to avoid violence and maintain faith in the judiciary but did not discourage the protest itself.

Dilip Ghosh alleged that the government had collected ₹800 crore from 8,000 ineligible candidates. He referred to jailed former minister Partha Chatterjee, saying, “Parthababu is inside. He is involved too. That’s why the issue is being downplayed.” He also questioned the police action during the protest at Kasba DI office, asking, “What did the police do? The day of the DI office siege, we saw their response — kicks, shoes, lathis! Is that what teachers deserve?”

Ghosh also criticised Mamata Banerjee’s past protests, claiming they involved damage to public property. “Mamata Banerjee paid ₹14 lakh in the Assembly incident. When she says she was born out of protest, is she now suppressing others’ protests? Is her protest legitimate and others’ not?” He objected to the recurring use of the 'outsider' narrative and said, “Attach a tag of outsider everywhere — in Murshidabad, here. Go and find out who the outsiders are.”

The protest has drawn attention as multiple incidents of clashes have been reported in recent days. In addition to the Kasba incident, protesters reportedly surrounded the Bidhannagar Municipal Chairman and raised slogans like ‘thief’. Ghosh concluded by asking, “They are desperate for their jobs. Why provoke them?” as the agitation continues with no immediate resolution in sight.