New Delhi [India], December 4 : Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee welcomed the Calcutta High Court's order setting aside Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's single bench verdict on the cancellation of 32,000 teachers' appointments in the West Bengal teachers' recruitment 'scam' case, giving relief to the teachers.
Addressing reporters in New Delhi on Wednesday, Banerjee claimed that no corruption has been proven in the High Court.
Kalyan Banerjee said, "The Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court has set aside the order of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who terminated the service of 32,000 primary teachers in West Bengal. The Division Bench said that Justice Gangopadhyay's order has no basis. No corruption has been proven. Justice Gangopadhyay's order was inequitable, the Calcutta High Court Division Bench has said so and saved 32,000 teachers' employment."
He hit out at Justice Gangopadhyay, now a BJP MP, calling his verdict a "political move."
"Justice Gangopadhyay delivered the judgment with a political motive. He got the BJP ticket because of the order to terminate 32,000 teachers. He did pure politics and has now become a BJP MP," the TMC MP said.
President of West Bengal Board of Primary Education, Goutam Paul, hailed the court order, congratulating the 32,000 teachers who received the relief.
Paul said, "The School Education Department of this government feels proud and happy. On behalf of the Board, we are conveying our gratitude to the division bench of the High Court. We also congratulate the 32,000 teachers. We also feel that the honesty and transparency of the Department have been established by this government."
Advocate & CPI (M) Leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya criticised the order, arguing that if the recruitment process was illegal, then the recruits should not be provided any relief. He also alleged that the Division Bench's verdict encourages corruption in administration.
The CPI(M) leader said, "If the court accepts that there has been a failure on the part of the recruiting authorities, then the beneficiaries cannot go above the recruiting authorities. If the recruitment process was illegal and initiated by malice and corruption, then there can be no question of sympathy in favour of the recruits. This judgment will ultimately encourage the corrupt administration."
"It will give much liberty to the corrupt administration to practice corruption and go ahead. I'm shocked to find that this judgment is not in tune with the constitutional morality of the Indian Constitution. Humanitarian grounds cannot go beyond the law. Then there will be no question of law," he said.
Earlier on Wednesday, Calcutta High Court overturned Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay's single bench verdict on cancellation of 32,000 teachers' appointments in the West Bengal teachers' recruitment 'scam' case, giving relief to the teachers. The division bench ruled that teachers who are innocent and not involved in corruption should not suffer due to the actions of regulators and authorities.