Agartala, Jan 16, 2023, TRIPURATIMES Desk

Agartala Jan 16: Terminated teachers under Joint Movement Committee of 10,323 teachers on Monday burnt effigies of former Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb, incumbent chief minister Dr Manik Saha and state education minister Ratan Lal Nath for failing to keep their promise of solving the issue of sacked teachers in Tripura.

The agitating former teachers pledged not to cast a single vote for the BJP in the ensuing elections as they burnt the memorandum copies announcing ‘advisory committee’ to find a legal solution for 10,323 teachers.

The sacked teachers in large numbers initiated a protest rally that headed towards the residence of chief minister Dr Mnaik Saha to seek answers of their questions on ‘Promised Solution’ made to the retrenched teachers prior and after 2018 assembly polls.

Speaking from the spot of agitation, the 10,323 JMC leaders said, “Not only the 10,323 teachers and their families, but the people of entire Tripura have fallen prey to the trickery of BJP”.

“BJP is no ‘Double-Engine’ but ‘Trouble-Engine’ for the people of Tripura and we will ensure that it never gets reelected to power”, said Bijoy Krishna Saha.

“Where are the promises of permanent solution of 10,323 teachers on humanitarian grounds, 50,000 jobs per year, jobs on missed-calls, regularization of contractual employees? What has the BJP done in these 28 years of rule?” questioned the protestors.

Bijoy Krishna Saha further said, “Now as we raised slogans against the government we will be called as CPI-M cadres by the BJP cabinet ministers”.

“Let them call so, we don’t care anymore as we pleaded before the government all these years but nothing came except deception”, he added.

Daliya Das, one of the terminated 10,323 teachers said, “Both the chief ministers of Tripura under BJP regime cheated us. Former chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb assured us of settling our problem and later ordered police crackdown and Water canon and tear gas shells on our peaceful and democratic movement. And now Dr Manik Saha, learned chief minister assured us of solving the issue and now has constituted an ‘Advisory Committee’ just to delay the process ahead of polls”.

“Advisory Committee is nothing but a lollipop as a simple cabinet decision could reinstate us in service”, she added.

The protest rally of the sacked teachers later reached the state education minister Ratan Lal Nath’s residence where the protestors launched a sit-in demonstration.