CPM Challenges Ban on New Teachers Running for Elections in West Bengal
The CPM opposes West Bengals decision to bar new teachers from contesting elections, promising legal action against the move.
Kolkata, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : The Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, has voiced strong opposition against the West Bengal government’s recent decision to prohibit newly recruited teachers from contesting elections. The party plans to challenge this ruling legally.
Vikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, a former Rajya Sabha member and senior advocate, stated that once the government’s proposal is officially incorporated into the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment regulations, he will take the matter to court. Bhattacharya, who previously served as the mayor of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, emphasized that suppressing the democratic rights of citizens is not an easy task. He vowed to legally contest any such attempts.
He further labeled the decision to bar teachers from running for office as unconstitutional. “Let this decision be officially implemented. I will take this case to the Calcutta High Court,” he declared.
Earlier this week, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that a new provision would be added to the WBSSC recruitment rules, preventing prospective teachers from participating in elections. This proposal was approved during a state cabinet meeting. However, the Chief Minister clarified that the rule would not apply to current teachers already serving as elected representatives.
In addition to the CPM, a segment of serving teachers has also protested this decision. They disagree with the Chief Minister’s rationale that the ban aims to keep politics out of education. A principal from a government higher secondary school remarked, “If the Chief Minister were serious about keeping politics out of this sector, he would have removed political figures from various education-related committees. But that hasn’t happened.” He added that current laws do not prevent school teachers from engaging in active politics. If this decision is enforced without amending existing laws, it could face legal challenges.
