New Delhi/IBNS: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday demanded West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation over the Supreme Court order that favoured the annulment of almost 26,000 government jobs in the state.

Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, "Mamata Banerjee has no right to stay in power. She has to step down. Mamata Banerjee, who talks about humanity, must resign if she has even a bit of sense of responsibility left in her."

Besides demanding her resignation, Patra questioned as to why the Chief Minister won't be arrested if her erstwhile Education Minister Partha Chatterjee is behind the bars.

"Partha Chatterjee had referred to Mamata Banerjee as his guardian. If Partha Chatterjee can be jailed, why not Mamata Banerjee?"

Patra claimed Mamata, who heads the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), will try to instigate people in the aftermath of the Supreme Court judgement which the BJP leader says has "shredded" the Chief Minister's "credibility and legitimacy".

"I am sure Mamata Banerjee will now instigate fear amongst people to divert the public attention from this issue," he said.

The BJP spokesperson has also appealed to the Mamata Banerjee government to "arrange for the salaries of all people who have lost their jobs".

In a blow to the TMC government, the Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the Calcutta High Court order that had quashed the entire recruitment of nearly 26,000 teaching and non-teaching staff by the School Service Commission (SSC) in West Bengal.

A top court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said the selection process was "vitiated and tainted by fraud".

In April 2024, the Calcutta High Court had cancelled recruitment of nearly 25,753 teaching and non-teaching staff in government-sponsored and government-aided schools, dismissing the entire 2016 teacher recruitment panel.

The panel was constituted by the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC).

The top court dismissed the panel after the WBSSC failed to provide the separate lists of deserving and undeserving candidates.

The CJI said employees who have not been identified as a tainted candidate need not have to return their salaries.

The court has directed the state government to order a fresh selection process which should be completed within three months.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, however, held the Opposition parties BJP and CPI-M responsible for the annulment of the jobs that have sent shockwaves to the affected families and moved the candidates to tears.

"I can't accept the verdict," said Mamata. "Are the BJP and CPI-M planning to collapse the education system of Bengal?"

She added, "Why will Bengal be targeted always? What have the Bengal students and youth have done to be targeted?