West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has been issued a contempt notice over her public remarks against the recent Supreme Court verdict in the SSC recruitment scam case. The notice was issued by advocate Siddhartha Dutta on behalf of NGO Atmadeep. The legal notice, dated April 10, 2025, comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s April 3 verdict that upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision quashing nearly 26,000 illegal appointments in the state’s recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff – popularly known as the “SSC job scam”.According to the notice, the statements made by Banerjee during a public address on April 8 directly defy the Supreme Court’s verdict. In her speech, Banerjee questioned the authority behind the termination of jobs and said that she had several contingency plans ready to reinstate those affected and had asked them to continue in their terminated jobs.She had said, “Who has the right to take away someone’s job? No one. Our plan A is ready, B is ready, C is ready, D is ready and E is ready. You can put me in jail for saying this. But I don’t care. Don’t you know? You, please do your work. Who has stopped you from doing your work? The Supreme Court. Then remember, whatever the option is, we will do it.” The Bengal Chief Minister had also alleged that cancelling illegal appointments was part of a conspiracy to destroy the education system. In her speech, she said, “There is a conspiracy going on to destroy the education system and create doubts in it. A plan is being made. Teachers of classes 9, 11 and 12 are the gateways to higher education. They prepare; many of them are checking papers. Some of them are gold medallists. They have achieved good results in their lives. You are calling all of them thieves. You are calling all of them incompetent. Who gave you the right to say this? I am openly challenging.”The notice accused Banerjee of undermining the authority of the Supreme Court and said that her comments are “a deliberate, planned and well-thought-out attack and insult on the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India”.In the legal notice, advocate Dutta, on behalf of Atmadeep, has demanded that Mamata Banerjee direct the state authorities to fully comply with the judgement of April 3. Refrain from making public statements suggesting non-compliance. Apologise unconditionally to the Supreme Court.Non-compliance with these demands may lead to legal action and contempt proceedings under Article 129 of the Constitution and the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, the notice said.Talking on this topic, Siddharth Dutta, a renowned lawyer, said, “Publicly questioning any decision of the Supreme Court, especially when it hurts the dignity of the judiciary, amounts to contempt. The statements made by Mamata Banerjee not only disregard the decision of the Supreme Court but also indicate that the state government is planning to circumvent the orders of the court instead of implementing them. This is not only a violation of law but also an attack on the balance established in the Constitution between the executive, legislature and judiciary. If not checked in time, it may lead to a serious constitutional crisis.”
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