Kolkata, May 15 (IANS) Tension flared up in front of Bikash Bhavan, the West Bengal education department headquarters at Salt Lake on the northern outskirts of Kolkata on Thursday night, as the police resorted to ruthless baton-charges to disperse the “gherao” demonstration organised by the “genuine” secondary and higher secondary teachers in state-run school in West Bengal who have lost their jobs following a Supreme Court order last month.

The protesters, united under the forum of “Jogyo Shikhok-Shikkika Adhikar Mancha” (Genuine Teachers’ Rights Forum), started protesting in front of Bikash Bhavan since Thursday afternoon, cordoning off the office from all sides.

Initially, the police personnel tried to convince them to call off the “gherao” demonstration, which was summarily refused by the protesters, and they said that they would continue with their agitation unless they get specific and concrete assurances from the state governments that their demands in the matter would be met.

However, at around 10 p.m., a huge police contingent reached the spot and resorted to a massive baton-charge to disperse the protesters. Following the police actions, several protesters are reported to be injured severely.

The police personnel claimed that they had no other option but to take action to ensure that the employees of the state education department, who were caught in the office till late hours, because of the “gherao” agitation, can ultimately come out and go back to their homes.

The police also claimed that the protesters resorted to pelting stones following which some of their policemen also were severely injured.

BJP’s Information Technology cell chief and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya on Thursday night, issued a statement condemning the police action on the protesting teachers.

“In a horrifying display of brutality, the state police launched a violent cane-charge. One woman teacher was beaten so severely that her leg was broken; another sustained a head injury. Both lay on the ground, crying out in pain, screaming and sobbing. But instead of offering help, the police continued the lathi-charge on others present at the scene. The conduct of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee raises serious concerns about authoritarianism and abuse of power,” the statement by Malviya read.

The principal demand of the protesters is that the state government and the West Bengal School Service Commission should immediately release a list segregating the “untainted” candidates from the “tainted” ones who got jobs by paying money. They contend that once the segregated list is published, the jobs of “untainted” candidates can be protected and that of tainted: ones can be terminated.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had upheld a previous order by the Calcutta High Court’s division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi cancelling 25,753 school jobs in West Bengal.

The apex court also accepted the observation of the Calcutta High Court that the entire panel of 25,753 candidates had to be cancelled because of the failure of the state government and the commission to segregate the “untainted” candidates from the “tainted” ones.

The state government and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) had already filed review petitions at the apex court on this issue.

–IANS

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