Bengal Teachers' Recruitment Scam: Mamata Banerjee's "BJP Bought Calcutta High Court" Remark, Lawyers Urge Contempt Case

After the Calcutta High Court canceled the recruitment of over 23,000 teaching and non-teaching staff considering it illegal, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has bought the court.

Now a group of lawyers has urged the court to take suo motu cognisance of these remarks. A senior advocate affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI (M)] also filed an affidavit on Banerjee's remarks.

"We will keep translations of the headings... Now (it is reported that) 'High Court has been sold out.' That is the statement of the Hon'ble Chief Minister - not on one day, but persistently after the judgment delivered by this court," he said.

He alleged that there are persistent attempts to ridicule the Calcutta High Court in the eyes of a common man. The court then took on record the media reports submitted by Bhattacharya on Banerjee's remarks.

It also granted permission to file criminal contempt petitions after two other lawyers called for action against Banerjee. The papers will now be placed before Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam for further action, Bar and Bench reported.

This comes after Banerjee in a public rally alleged that BJP bought the High Court, CBI, NIA, BSF and CAPF and expressed that now she has hope for justice from the Supreme Court as the Bengal government has already moved the apex court.

Banerjee asserted while campaigning, "Not one vote for the BJP or CPM or Congress, not from teachers, not from any government worker," as the BJP has supported the judgment considering it proof of the TMC government recruiting teachers "for money."

However, calling the judgment "unfortunate", the ruling TMC has been expressing concerns over thousands of people losing jobs. There have been protests in Kolkata arguing that most of these recruits are innocent, NDTV reported.