Kolkata, Apr 10 (UNI) Teachers in West Bengal who have lost their jobs organised a massive rally on Thursday to protest against the alleged lathi-charge and kicking of a teacher by the Kolkata Police, at the District Inspector (DI) Office in south Kolkata.
They also demanded the issuance of the mirror image of OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) to determine the eligible candidates from the non-eligible ones by the School Service Commission.
The Supreme Court last week cancelled the appointment 25, 752 teaching and nonteaching staff recruited by the School Service Commission (SSC) in an alleged cash-for-jobs scam.
Besides the job losers, teachers and staff of government-aided schools also participated in the 'Maha Michil', which was held from Sealdah to Esplanade in the central part of the city.
The agitating teachers also demanded a written assurance from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to protect all eligible candidates from losing their jobs.
The teachers made the demand after the CM on Monday assured full protection to all the eligible candidates from losing jobs and asked them to join their respective schools as volunteers for now until the issue is resolved.
The rally also affected the city traffic despite today being a holiday on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti.
Meanwhile, a section of the job losers have launched an indefinite sit-in demonstration near the School Service Commission office at Salt Lake since Wednesday evening where another section of the affected teachers have begun a relay hunger strike.
One of the representatives of teachers, Pankaj Roy, told reporters that they would continue the agitation until the government provided them with written assurances for full protection from being terminated.
He also demanded that the SSC to release the mirror image of the OMR to determine the genuine candidates from the tainted ones.
Kolkata Police Headquarters, Lalbazar, sought a report regarding the lathi charge and kicking of a teacher at Kasba on Wednesday.
The agitating teachers had allegedly defied policemen and tried to barge into the DI office gate, and attempted to lock the gate.
The Deputy Commissioner, SSD, has been asked to probe the matter, after the issue rocked the state, and condemnation poured in from the opposition as well as from different civic organisations.
South Suburban Division Deputy Commissioner Bidhisha Kalita will probe the matter and report to the Kolkata Police headquarters.
Senior Minister and city Mayor Firhad Hakim asked why the job losers went to Kasba when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already assured them full protection.
" Why did they go there, to damage the government property?" asked Hakim.
UNI PC BD RN