Kolkata, May 19 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said there were more outsiders than teachers who are on protest in front of Bikash Bhavan, adding there is always a 'Laxman Rekha' for every 'andolon' (agitation).
"Please don’t ask me to say anything about it (on dismissed teachers)," Banerjee said when asked about her comment on the ongoing protests, which entered its 13th day on Monday.
"I had and will always have sympathy for them. I held a meeting and said that we will file a review. We have to follow the law in matters of the court, and there are some obligations. Everyone needs to understand that. We have filed a review petition. Our lawyers will try to ensure that their jobs remain intact However, we cannot ignore court orders," Banerjee told media at Dum Dum Airport before leaving for north Bengal's three-day visit.
She also reiterated that nobody’s salaries have been withheld till now. The Group-C and Group-D workers, who will not be paid, will get an allowance through a scheme the government formed recently, the Chief Minister said.
"I have an issue with something -- those who are provoking are the ones who filed cases against them. The jobs weren’t lost because of us. Those who were responsible for this, I want to tell them that they should not have done this," she observed.
Banerjee said they (the teachers) should have trusted the state government. " I, myself, held a meeting with them. We expect minimum courtesy and dignity from the teachers. They should work for society beyond politics.
"They should teach students. Many are working, and we have no complaints against them. We have no complaints against even those who are staging an Andolan," the Chief Minister said.
"My only grouse is that others should not be blocked by force or harmed through road blockades. There are more outsiders in the protest than the teachers. A pregnant mother was not allowed to go home and was locked in for hours...A girl, who was an examinee, was not allowed to leave, and she jumped out in fear. She had to be hospitalised for her injuries," the Chief Minister said.
She was referring to Thursday's violent agitation in front of Bikash Bhavan, in which the police were forced to use batons to evacuate the government officials in the Education Department headquarters at New Town.
"We are all humans. We can love those who have respect for humanity. I am not against Andolan," she said.
However, there is a Lakshman Rekha for an Andolan. "Just like I cannot stop anyone, nobody can do that to me as well. I would suggest that instead of doing this, they should fight the issue legally. We will help them. We are already doing it as well. We are not against it," Banerjee said.
She also pointed out that if any political party thought to provoke them, "I want to question them – was it right for them to file a case in the court?" Banerjee also said she did not say anything about the court cases, and the government was proceeding legally on the issue.
She said she has no allegation against the teachers, but they should not block the exit routes of others.
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