Mon Apr 07 20:57:00 UTC 2025: ## West Bengal Teachers Protest Job Cancellations, Clash with Police

**Kolkata, April 8, 2025** – Thousands of aggrieved teachers in West Bengal clashed with police on Monday as they protested the cancellation of approximately 25,000 teaching and non-teaching jobs. The protests intensified the ongoing political battle between Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Ms. Banerjee met with a select group of 7,000 protesting teachers at Netaji Indoor Stadium to address their concerns. However, many teachers expressed dissatisfaction, claiming the CM’s assurances were insufficient. Simultaneously, a BJP youth wing march towards the Chief Minister’s residence was met with a heavy police response, resulting in numerous arrests, including senior BJP leader Locket Chatterjee. Chatterjee reportedly denounced the Trinamool Congress party as “job thieves” during her detention.

Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari accused Ms. Banerjee of sacrificing the futures of over 19,000 teachers to protect those who allegedly secured jobs through bribery. He pledged his support to the protesting teachers, promising to participate in their upcoming march to the State Secretariat on April 21st. Adhikari also questioned the criteria used to select the 7,000 teachers who met with the CM, criticizing the use of the term “deserving” (jogyo) as derogatory.

The Chief Minister, in her address, called for the “political isolation” of CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya for his involvement in a Supreme Court case against corruption in the state’s recruitment process. Bhattacharya responded by reiterating his opposition to corruption and framing the CM’s call as a choice for the people of Bengal. The ongoing controversy surrounding job cancellations continues to dominate West Bengal’s political landscape.

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