'Slap me if I have done something wrong': Mamata Banerjee urges HC not to cancel appointments

Banerjee said she can be slapped if she has done anything wrong but pleaded to not cancel any job appointments.

"If I have done something wrong, you can come and slap me. I will not say a single word if I am guilty," she said addressing an event at the premises of a city court organised as part of the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Aurobindo.

Slamming the opposition, Banerjee said: "After coming to power, I have not snatched the job of any CPI(M) cadre. But why is the Opposition here doing the same? They don't have the ability to provide but only the audacity to withhold."

She cited a verdict of Justice Ashok Ganguly pertaining to a case of jobs during the left rule.

"He had said 'correct it if there is some discrepancy' He did not talk about taking away the jobs of people. But nowadays within moments, thousands of jobs and appointments get cancelled," Banerjee said.

Calling Trinamool Congress a democratic party, the West Bengal CM said: "Not everyone is our party cadre. Even if someone is government personnel, they have their own political inclination. If someone in the lower level is involved in any kind of corruption, even from my own party, they will be punished accordingly. I will not stand with wrongdoing."

She urged the court to take actions against those indulged in the corruption, but asked to provide another chance to the appointees.

"Even yesterday, two people died by suicide. I am not saying that don't take action
against those involved in corruption. Take strong action against them but at the
same time do not victimise those who are innocent. At least give another chance to
those who have made a mistake. Ask them to reappear for the examination."

"We are noticing that some politicians are taking a keen interest in this issue. For every small thing, they are on their way to filing a PIL, while other important cases are being neglected. For them, it is not public Interest Litigation but political Interest Litigation', she said.

She asked the oppositions to stop defaming the state and her government which is so "humanitarian".

"Why is it only happening only in my State? You might not like me, you might not like my party, you might not like my Government despite being so humanitarian, but please do not defame the state and its youth. Kindly do not take away their rights and employment opportunities," an emotional Banerjee said.

She said she could have easily taken crores of rupees as pension as an MP seven times.

"But I don't take a single penny nor do I use their [Centre] car. If you ask me how I manage my expenses, I will tell you that I write books and songs. The royalty that I get from there goes into my living. I don't want more than this. At times, I feel that I myself should go to court and start practising. There is a difference between briefing someone and giving the briefing yourself."

"In the hope of justice, people approach the courts. Some people are not so financially strong so they don't know where to go and whom to approach. This is why we have a free Legal Aid Cell run by our State Government. We have to make it more popular so that people can avail the benefits," she said.

The Calcutta high court has till date cancelled the appointments of 4,853 undeserving candidates who got jobs of teachers and non-teaching staff in various state-run schools between 2014 and 2021 using fraudulent means. The candidates had allegedly paid bribes to hike their scores and find a place in the merit list.