Agitating school teachers arrested, released in Tripura

Over 700 school teachers who demonstrated against ir impending termination of services defying Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were arrested on Tuesday.

Additional SP of West Tripura district, Manik Lal Saha said y were arrested for violating prohibitory orders imposed to check spread of coronavirus in state.

However, police released all of m later. "We were forced to remove m as our attempt to persuade m failed. Despite repeated requests y did t agree to withdraw ir agitation," Saha said.

A total of 10,323 undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate teachers were appointed in different phases since 2010. recruitment process was challenged in Tripura High Court, which terminated ir services saying recruitment was faulty.

n Left Front government moved Supreme Court against order but it upheld high court verdict in March 2017.

teachers were prounced to retire after December 31, 2017, as per apex court verdict, after which y were inducted on ad hoc basis.

After BJP-IPFT government came to power in March 2018, it again appealed to apex court in vember and Supreme Court granted m one-time final extension till March 31, 2020.

Two organizations of teachers facing termination have been holding agitations since Friday. Speaking to reporters later, teachers claimed that BJP-IPFT coalition had made a poll pledge to re-instate m after coming to power.

Opposition leader Manik Sarkar and senior Congress leader Gopal Chandra Roy and ors visited m and expressed ir sympathy.