Rahul seeks President Murmu's intervention after 26,000 Bengal teachers lose job

Congress leader and Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi has stepped into the heated debate surrounding the Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold the cancellation of over 25,000 teaching and non-teaching positions in West Bengal. In a formal letter addressed to President Droupadi Murmu, Gandhi appealed for her intervention to ensure that those recruited through fair means are not punished alongside those involved in alleged recruitment irregularities.

On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld a Calcutta High Court ruling that declared the 2016 West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment process as "tainted beyond resolution." As a result, appointments made through the State Level Selection Test (SLST) for over 25,000 candidates were declared null and void. The decision has triggered widespread panic and protests among those who say they were selected fairly.

Rahul Gandhi, expressing concern for the affected candidates, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I have requested the Honourable President to urge the government to take necessary steps to ensure that candidates who were selected through fair means are allowed to continue.” In his letter, he pointed out that both the High Court and Supreme Court had acknowledged that not all appointees were tainted, yet the verdict removed even the untainted teachers from service.

Highlighting the human cost of the ruling, Gandhi wrote that while irregularities in recruitment should be condemned, it is unjust to equate deserving, qualified candidates with those who manipulated the system. He termed the mass dismissal a “serious injustice” that calls for urgent corrective action.

Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also urged the dismissed teachers and staffers to return to their schools and resume duties “voluntarily,” even as the Trinamool Congress government explores legal remedies. She assured the affected personnel that the state government is committed to protecting their jobs despite the apex court's order.

The situation remains tense in West Bengal, where thousands of dismissed teachers have expressed anguish, calling the verdict “life-shattering.” As the political battle intensifies, eyes are now on the central government and President Murmu for possible steps toward relief for those who say they’ve been unfairly swept up in a flawed system.