Police detain protesting teachers at Sealdah before SSC rally over re-exam demand

Tensions flared in Kolkata’s Sealdah area on Friday morning as police detained several teachers and education workers before the start of a protest march. The rally, organised by former SSC-appointed teachers who lost their jobs, was scheduled to begin at 11 am but faced a heavy police presence and swift crackdowns.

Protesters had started gathering around the Sealdah metro station when police picked up several individuals and escorted them away in jail vans. Those detained claimed they were peacefully assembling and accused the authorities of trying to suppress their voices. “This is an attempt to stop the movement. We have done nothing wrong,” said one of the protesting teachers.

The teachers are demanding justice after losing their jobs in the wake of the SSC recruitment controversy. They are also opposing the state government’s decision to make them sit for the examination again, following Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s recent announcement that all job losers must reappear for the test.

A protesting teacher directly appealed to the CM, saying, “I will tell the Chief Minister to follow Rajdharma.” Despite the clampdown, the protesters vowed to continue their movement until justice is delivered.