Sacked teachers clash at Netaji Indoor over entry passes ahead of CM Mamata meet

Protests intensified outside Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday after several sacked teachers and non-teaching staff were denied entry to the scheduled meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The agitating candidates alleged that entry passes were distributed unfairly and claimed that some were sold through backdoor channels. The situation escalated when police blocked protesters without passes, leading to heated exchanges.

The protest followed an overnight sit-in at Shaheed Minar, after which thousands marched to the stadium around 12:30 PM. While a section of candidates received entry passes issued by a group representing “eligible” teachers, many others claimed that no clear distinction was made in the Supreme Court verdict between eligible and ineligible. “26,000 jobs were cancelled. If no separation was made there, why is it being done here?” asked several protesters.

Some of the demonstrators questioned the legitimacy of the pass system altogether. “The Chief Minister never mentioned that passes were required. Then why is the police stopping us?” asked aggrieved candidates outside the stadium. Tensions rose further when police attempted to disperse those without passes, triggering fresh waves of protest near the venue.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, along with Education Minister Bratya Basu, is scheduled to meet affected candidates to hear grievances. However, confusion and infighting over eligibility and access have overshadowed the meeting, as protesters demand transparency, fair representation, and a clear route to job reinstatement.