Chaos outside stadium over CM meet passes:

 The group, Joggo Mancha claimed the state gave them 7,500 passes, prompting opposition allegations of favouritism and lack of transparency 

SNS, April 7, 2025, Kolkata : Chaos broke out outside the Netaji Indoor Stadium on Monday morning, just ahead of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's scheduled meeting with sacked government teachers and non-teaching staff. A controversy erupted over the distribution of 'passes,' which divided the protesters into two clear factions — those with passes and those without.

Those in possession of the passes insisted that only they should be allowed inside the stadium, barring the rest. However, the legitimacy of these passes has now come under scrutiny, with questions raised about who authorized their distribution and what criteria were used to determine eligibility.

The passes, featuring a blue background with bold text reading "Amra Joggo" (We Are Eligible), reportedly included details such as "floor" or "gallery," indicating seating arrangements. Allegations surfaced that members of an organization called Joggo Shikshak-Shikshika Adhikar Mancha (Platform for the Rights of Eligible Teachers) played a key role in distributing the passes. The group claims the state government handed over 7,500 passes to them, based on a list of names from teachers who had earlier filed legal petitions.

Opposition leaders, including BJP's Suvendu Adhikari and CPI-M's Satamp Ghosh, raised strong objections over the distribution process. "The CM has politicized the Netaji Indoor Stadium," Adhikari said. "The autonomy of the SSC has been destroyed under her leadership. The state government must immediately submit the full list of affected teachers."

Congress leader Soumya Aich Roy criticized the state for not clearly identifying ineligible candidates from the beginning, which led to further confusion and division during the meeting.

The Kolkata Police, tasked with maintaining order, allowed entry based on the passes. "Many people have arrived. We tried to bring them in through a separate gate. We are letting in only those with valid passes," said DC Central Indira Mukherjee. However, many without passes questioned when and how the passes were issued, alleging a lack of transparency.

Members of the Adhikar Mancha stated that around 12,000 of their affiliates had moved the court and claimed a total of 15,403 members among them were "eligible." They admitted that not every dismissed teacher received a pass but emphasized the need for an ID card, admit card, and petition number to collect one. On Monday morning, many were seen queuing with tokens issued earlier to collect passes. The organization claims these tokens were issued for logistical convenience after receiving the passes on Sunday evening, followed by instructions sent on WhatsApp groups.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Locket Chatterjee attempted to stage a protest near Kalighat and was detained by police. According to reports, 25,735 teachers and non-teaching staff were terminated, with the CBI reportedly identifying 6,500-7,000 as ineligible. However, due to the unavailability of original OMR sheets or copies, courts have been unable to provide clean chits for the rest.

CM Mamata Banerjee had called for the meeting to discuss the issue, but it was overshadowed by the pandemonium surrounding the distribution of passes.