BJP Condemns West Bengal's Brutal Police Action

**BJP Launches Fierce Critique of West Bengal Government Over Police Action Against Protesting Teachers** In a sharp attack on West Bengal's Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday condemned the state's police force for what they termed as a "horrifying display of brutality" during a protest by school teachers the previous day. The protest, led by aspiring teachers who successfully cleared the School Service Commission (SSC) examination in 2016 but had their appointments nullified by a recent court ruling, intensified at Bikash Bhavan—the state education department's headquarters—on Thursday. Protesters claimed that police resorted to baton-charges, resulting in multiple injuries. Among the injured was a woman teacher with a broken leg and another with a head injury. Bystanders reported scenes of the injured lying on the ground in distress while the police continued their aggressive dispersal efforts. The incident sparked widespread condemnation, with BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, launching a scathing critique of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. He accused her of authoritarian governance and shielding corruption within her administration. Adhikari remarked, “If the cabinet decides to protect thieves, then those in the council of ministers should be in jail.” Highlighting personal connections to the SSC exam, he expressed solidarity with the protesters, stating, "This issue is close to my heart... a university gold medallist was crying because of Mamata Banerjee. She and her cabinet are responsible." He further alleged that despite their qualifications, deserving candidates were being deprived of opportunities due to political manipulation in the recruitment process. Adhikari accused the police of operating under the ruling party's directives, rather than upholding justice. BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar echoed these sentiments, criticizing an alleged strategy by Mamata Banerjee’s advisors to obscure mispractice by mingling the corrupt with the innocent. He asserted, "The court exposed this trick... the police action on protesting teachers was a horrifying display of brutality," adding that her governance had turned the state into a "marketplace" for jobs. He suggested compensating the eligible candidates from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund instead. The protest momentum continued unabated on Friday as many of the previously injured demonstrators returned to the scene, passionately demanding immediate job reinstatement. Members of the Deserving Teachers' Rights Forum have rejected the idea of a new recruitment exam, insisting on restitution based on their prior merit. Despite their injuries and discomfort, teachers maintained their vigil overnight outside Bikash Bhavan. "We are not going anywhere until justice is served," declared one protester resolutely. The situation around the Education Department remains tense, with a significant police presence on-site as the standoff continues.