Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav. | Photo Credit: PTI
Opposition parties in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday (August 17, 2024) targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and accused it of engaging in “scam, fraud and corruption” over the recent Allahabad High Court order on preparing a fresh selection list for the appointment of 69,000 assistant teachers in the State.
The court set aside the selection lists issued on June 1, 2020, and January 5, 2022, and directed the State government to prepare a new list within three months in accordance with the rules.
“Ultimately, the 69,000-teacher recruitment also proved to be a victim of BJP’s scam, fraud and corruption. It was our demand that a new fair list be made, so that transparent and fair appointments can be possible and the education system in the State, which was disrupted during the BJP era, can come back on track,” said Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav. “We will keep a constant watch on the new list and will stand shoulder to shoulder with the candidates to ensure that no injustice is done to any candidate. This is the victory of the candidates,” he added.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and former four-time Chief Minister Mayawati said the High Court’s decision signifies that the BJP government has not done its work “honestly”.
“The High Court’s decision to cancel the selection list of 69,000 teacher candidates selected in 2019 in U.P. and order to prepare a new list within three months proves that the government has not done its work fairly and honestly. In this case, the victims, especially those from the reservation category, should be ensured to get justice,” wrote Ms. Mayawati, on X.
A High Court Bench comprising Justice A.R. Masoodi and Justice Brijraj Singh delivered the judgment while hearing 90 special appeals filed by candidates, challenging the decision of a single-judge Bench dated March 13, 2023, regarding the improper implementation of reservation quotas. The Bench had reserved its decision after concluding hearings in March, with the final verdict being pronounced on August 13 and uploaded on the High Court’s website on Saturday (August 17).
