- Teacher recruitment scam: Calcutta High Court slams Mamata government

- Court warns to summon the entire state cabinet if the notification for illegal recruitment of teachers is not withdrawn

- Education Secretary's claim that the state cabinet has decided to create additional posts by illegal recruitment of unqualified teachers

KOLKATA: A Teacher Recruitment Scam in West Bengal has threatened Trinamool Congress with cancellation of recognition and logo as a political party. Judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay, angered by Education Secretary Manish Jain's responses in the Calcutta High Court on the teacher recruitment scam, threatened the state government to recommend the Election Commission to cancel the Trinamool Congress's recognition and logo as a political party. Along with this, he also warned to summon every member of the Bengal Cabinet if necessary.

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, while hearing the illegal recruitment scam case in West Bengal, said on Friday that he may take the historic step of asking the Election Commission to de-recognize the Trinamool Congress as a political party and withdraw its logo.

State Education Secretary Manish Jain informed the bench that the West Bengal Cabinet had decided to create additional posts of teachers in the state to include the allegedly illegally recruited teachers and had been ordered by the state Education Minister. Justice Gangopadhyay was furious after hearing this statement of Jain. He said that no one has the right to tamper with the constitution of the country. I may ask the Election Commission to de-recognise Trinamool Congress as a political party and withdraw its logo.

Justice Gangopadhyay further questioned how the state cabinet could take such a decision to accommodate illegal appointments of ineligible candidates. The state cabinet will have to declare that it had no support for the illegal recruitment of unqualified teachers and the cabinet will also have to withdraw the notification issued on May 19 for appointment of additional teachers. Otherwise I will have to take a decision, which has never been taken in the history of the country. I believe that the democracy in the state is not in the right hands or the democracy has not flourished properly.

Justice Gangopadhyay warned that if necessary, he would make the entire state cabinet a party in the case and issue summons to every member. If necessary, a show cause notice will also be issued against all. During the hearing, Manish Jain had to face several sharp questions from Judge Gangopadhyay. He questioned that, do you think how the Cabinet can take such a decision by violating the Constitution of India? No one warned the cabinet members taking such a decision?

In response to questions from the Calcutta High Court, Jain said that he was not present in the cabinet meeting when the decision was taken. He informed the High Court that when the Education Minister asked for creation of additional posts, he was asked to take legal advice. Justice Gangopadhyay then questioned whether it is the policy of the state government to make illegal appointments?

The Supreme Court stayed the order of the Kolkata High Court

In West Bengal, at a time when Calcutta High Court Judge Bandopadhyay was taking a swipe at the state government, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed the order of the Calcutta High Court in the teacher recruitment scam. The High Court had directed a CBI probe into the petition filed by the West Bengal Kendriya Vidyalaya Seva Aayog (SSC). Along with this, a bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice Hema Kohli also stayed the issuance of summons to West Bengal Education Department Principal Secretary Manish Jain of the single bench of the Calcutta High Court. During the hearing of this case, senior advocate for the state government AM Singhvi told the bench that, while I am making arguments here, Principal Secretary Manish Jain is standing in the court of the High Court. In this regard, the CJI stayed the orders of the Calcutta High Court and said that the orders of the High Court will be stayed. With this, he listed the state government's application after three weeks. The Calcutta High Court on November 23 ordered a CBI probe into the petition filed by the SSC. The CBI is already probing schools for illegal recruitment on the orders of the High Court.