West Bengal TET-qualified bride raises appointment slogans for teaching aspirants

KOLKATA : A bride attired resplendently at her wedding reception suddenly started shouting slogans demanding that all qualified Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) candidates be given jobs in primary schools in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district, as bewildered guests looked on. A video, which went viral, showed the 2014 TET eligible candidate shouting "we want appointment, all deprived candidates should get appointment" at her reception party along with four others, who also claimed to be aspirants for teaching jobs in the state.

On being tracked by the media at her in-laws' house in Bhatar, 27-year-old bride Abhaya Das on Thursday said the incident occurred after four of her TET-qualified friends arrived at her reception on May 6 evening. As other guests inquired whether she would be part of the agitation for getting jobs for all TET candidates, she first replied 'off course' and then instinctively sloganeered, joined by the four friends.

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Reacting to the incident, opposition BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said, "The incident laid bare the pitiful situation about teacher recruitment in the state. Large-scale irregularities have taken place in teacher recruitment.” Ruling Trinamool Congress spokesperson Jaiprakash Majumder said the party has nothing to comment on her decision to use the occasion of her marriage to voice a demand on a sub-judice matter.