"Don’t Try To Politicize": Supreme Court Defers Hearing in Contempt Case Against Mamata Banerjee Over Remarks On School Jobs Verdict
|The petition alleges that Mamata Banerjee’s remarks following the Supreme Court’s verdict in the school jobs scam case amount to criminal contempt for undermining judicial authority.
The Supreme Court today deferred hearing in a criminal contempt petition filed against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee by a public charitable trust, for making comments on the Court’s verdict in the teacher recruitment scam case.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India BR Gavai and Justice K. Vinod Chandran heard the matter.
Senior Advocate Maninder Singh appeared and informed the Court that an application seeking the Attorney General’s consent for initiating contempt proceedings had already been submitted.
CJI Gavai remarked, "Are you so sure that you will get the consent? Don’t try to politicize before the Court your political battle. You should fight somewhere else."
The matter was directed to be listed after four weeks.
As per reports, the proceedings stem from public remarks made by the Chief Minister following the Supreme Court’s April 3, 2025, judgment, which cancelled over 25,000 school appointments in West Bengal due to large-scale irregularities in the recruitment process. Soon after the verdict, Mamata Banerjee reportedly made statements in public addresses that the petitioner claims are contemptuous and aimed at undermining the authority of the Court.
The Chief Minister allegedly questioned the Court’s power to annul appointments and accused it of conspiring to damage the state’s education system. Among other remarks, she said, “Who has the right to take anyone’s job? No one… you can put me in jail for saying this. But I don’t care.” She further stated, “To destroy the education system… there is a conspiracy going on. You are calling all of them thieves… Who has given you right to say so? I am openly challenging…”
According to the petitioner, such remarks by a sitting Chief Minister not only undermine judicial authority but may also mislead the public and diminish faith in the institution.
Cause Title: Atmadeep (A Charitable Trust) v. Mamata Banerjee (Diary No. 21869-2025)