Mamata's assurances to sacked teachers fall flat

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today met a cross-section of the 25,753 school teachers and non-teaching staff who lost their jobs after the Supreme Court flagged "institutional corruption and wide-spread fraud in the selection process by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), and vowed to protect the jobs of "deserving" teachers.

- SUPROTIM MUKHERJEE

However, her assurances did not cut much ice among the assembled teachers.

Mamata Banerjee slammed the Supreme Court for a "biased verdict" and cited the example of the all-India medical entrance exam NEET and said the top court did not cancel the whole examination in that case. "Only Bengal is being targeted. You cannot deny that you all fear Bengal's talent," Banerjee said. "Do not snatch the bread and butter of a family in the process of targeting my Government. In Tripura, 10,000 jobs were cancelled. The BJP said that when they would come to power, they would get it back...they did not, but in fact physically attacked those who tried to protest," she said.