Two of the five teachers who consumed a pesticide yesterday are now in a critical state.
A full-blown political row has erupted in West Bengal after state Education Minister Bratya Bose today dubbed five government teachers "BJP cadre" less than 24 hours after they consumed poison outside his office in Kolkata. They were agitating against their alleged 'punishment transfer' for protesting outside Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's office last week.
The teachers had on August 18 demonstrated at the state secretariat, the high-security Nabanna, demanding a hike.
Referring to the two incidents, Mr Bose today tweeted saying the government had done a lot for the teachers.
"Since December, Mamata Banerjee had hiked wages, given increments and retirement and health benefits. Those protesting after all that are not teachers, they are BJP cadre," the state Education Minister tweeted in Bengali today.
The BJP has now demanded Mr Bose's resignation, denying links with the protesters.
"You are not paying the teachers, you are paying clubs, for festivals, for imams...imambhata...but you don't have money to pay teachers. The backbone of society is going for suicide. It is shame for us," said BJP leader Sayantan Bose.
The five contractual government school teachers yesterday consumed pesticide organophosphate in front of the Education Department office protesting against transfers to "distant places". The incident was recorded on camera by bystanders and the local media.
The teachers are Shikha Das, Jyotsna Tudu, Putul Jana Mondal, Chabi Das, and Anima Roy. Two of them are now under critical care in government hospitals.
They are members of Shikshak Aikya Mukta Mancha, a platform for contractual teachers. The police have now filed suo motu non-bailable cases against them for jostling with the police. They have also been charged with attempted suicide.
Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress said contractual teachers' wages were doubled in December to Rs 10,340. The teachers, however, wanted more.