'Partha Chatterjee should be behind bars': Suvendu calls SSC Recruitment case biggest scam

Hours after the West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee was summoned by the CBI on Calcutta High Court orders, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the TMC leader should be put behind bars. Calling the SSC Recruitment case the biggest scam post-independence, he said that the Court should stop giving him notice as he snatched employment from almost 2 crore youth. He condemned the scam and asserted that the agency will take appropriate action against the culprits. 

Suvendu Adhikari Reacts on Partha Chatterjee Being Summoned by CBI

"Calcutta High Court has directed CBI to summon Partha Chatterjee. He is the Industry Ministry and General Secretary of TMC. SSC Recruitment case is the biggest scam post-independence. He finished 90 lakh to 1 crore unemployed youth of India. More than 2 crores of unemployed youth are loitering around the state. the state of employment in West Bengal is horrible. Just put him behind the bars and stop giving notice. We welcome the court's judgement. I have no comment on the process of the investigation as the matter has been given to CBI. The agency will take appropriate action against those who're involved in this big scam. This type of unethical scam is condemnable," said Suvendu Adhikari.

On being asked about the state Police, the BJP leader stated that they are not West Bengal Police(WBP) but Mamata Bengal police (MBP). 

Partha Chatterjee Summoned

Partha Chatterjee has been asked by the Calcutta High Court to appear before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Wednesday evening. Chatterjee has been summoned in connection with alleged irregularities in recruitment by the School Service Commission (SSC).

A single bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay directed that if the senior TMC leader did not reach the CBI office in the given time, he could be taken into custody. The Court has also put forth a recommendation before the Governor and Chief Minister that Chatterjee must be removed from his position in the wake of his prima facie involvement in the SSC Recruitment Scam.

What is the SSC Recruitment Scam case?

In November 2021, the contentious state recruitment came under the legal scanner after the Calcutta High Court ordered a preliminary inquiry by the CBI into alleged irregularities in the appointment of Group-D staff in aided/sponsored schools under the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) on purported recommendations by the state's School Service Commission.

The HC order was passed on a petition by several job aspirants, claiming that appointments were given to individuals after the expiry of the panel proposed for the posts of Group-D staff in aided/sponsored secondary and higher secondary schools in the state.

Earlier, the Calcutta HC had put to halt the salary of 25 Group D staff personnel on the ground of alleged foul play over appointment by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) based on "recommendations" of the West Bengal School Service Commission. The WBBSE claimed that all the appointments were given on the basis of recommendations by the SSC Board. However, the commission submitted an affidavit before the court stating that after May 4, 2019, when the panel of Group-D staff had expired, no recommendation letter was issued by it.